NIT Rourkela researchers develop adsorbent for wastewater treatment

Researchers at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela have developed a low-cost ceramic adsorbent capable of removing more than 95 percent of Methylene Blue dye from industrial wastewater, offering a sustainable and cost-effective solution for tackling water pollution caused by textile and other manufacturing industries.

The research was led by Dr. Sunipa Bhattacharyya, Associate Professor in the Department of Ceramic Engineering, along with research scholars Susant Mohapatra and Sourav Ranjan Satpathy. The team developed the adsorbent using industrial waste materials including fly ash, ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS), and kaolin clay, transforming waste by-products into a valuable environmental remediation material.

“A key part of our research is that we used raw kaolin clay instead of heat-treated metakaolin, which is usually used in geopolymer-based adsorbents. By avoiding this energy-heavy heating step, we made the process more sustainable and cost-effective,” said Dr. Sunipa Bhattacharyya.

Laboratory evaluations demonstrated that the ceramic adsorbent achieved more than 95 percent removal of Methylene Blue, a widely used dye commonly found in industrial effluents.

The findings were published in the journal ChemistrySelect and contribute to broader sustainability objectives, particularly the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).