Mg-enriched engineered carbon from lithium-ion battery anode for phosphate removal

Three Mg-enriched engineered carbons (mesocarbon microbeads, MCMB) were produced from lithium-ion battery anode using concentrated nitric acid oxidization and magnesium nitrate pretreatment. The obtained 15%Mg-MCMB, 30%Mg-MCMB, and 40%Mg-MCMB have magnesium level of 10.19, 19.13, and 19.96%, respectively. FTIR spectrum shows the functional groups present on the oxidized MCMB including OH, C-O, C-H, and C-O. XRD, SEM-EDX, and XPS analyses show that nanoscale Mg(OH)₂ and MgO particles were presented on the surface of the Mg-MCMB samples, which could serve as the main adsorption mechanism as to precipitate phosphate from aqueous solutions. The sorption experiments indicate that Mg modification dramatically promotes MCMB's phosphate removal ability and phosphate removal rates reach as high as 95%. Thus, modification of the spent LIBs anode could provide a novel direction of preparing wastewater adsorbent and develop an innovative way to achieve sustainable development.