Mechanochemical Synthesis of Sulfur Nanoparticles from Industrial Waste for Enhanced Hg(II) Adsorption

Abstract

In this study, sulfur extracted from gas industry waste was used to adsorb mercury ions from aqueous solutions. To reduce particle size and increase the active surface area, a mechanical synthesis grinding process in a wet environment (water and alcohol) was employed, which showed better performance compared to the dry method. BET experiments and BJH pore size distribution analysis revealed that the processed sulfur exhibited uniform micro- and mesopores in the range of 1–10 nm, which were significantly more suitable for heavy metal adsorption compared to the large and irregular pores in the original sample. Additionally, XRD, FTIR, and SEM analyses confirmed the preservation of the crystalline structure, the formation of S–S bonds, and the production of nanoparticles with varying sizes. The results indicate that wet grinding with alcohol and water is an effective method for enhancing the surface area and improving the adsorption efficiency of mercury ions on sulfur