Preparation of modified anthracites and research on their adsorption and recovery performance on phosphorus

To recover and reutilize phosphorus from wastewater, a methodological framework for phosphorous removal and recovery using Fe-Al-Zr modified anthracite materials was proposed. The adsorbent presented a total adsorption capacity of 13.022 mg/g and the adsorption mechanism mainly included electrostatic forces, ligands exchange and surface deposition and so on. Micropores provided the major adsorption sites for phosphorous, and determined the adsorption capacity of phosphorous. The modified adsorbents could be repeatedly used in four operation cycles until the adsorption rate decreased below 50%. The phosphorous could be desorbed and recovered in the form of hydroxyapatite (HAP) by adding a certain amount of CaCl₂ (n(Ca)∶n(P)=2∶1) under alkaline conditions.