A green fabrication strategy for MgAl2O4 foams with tunable morphology

Abstract

Porous ceramics have several industrial applications; however, most of them are prepared using toxic chemicals and submicron size ceramic particles. Here, an environmentally friendly gel casting method is employed by dispersing magnesium aluminate (MgAl₂O₄) nanoparticles in egg albumin-based aqueous solution in the presence of sucrose, to develop porous ceramic structures. The sintered ceramic foams are found to be cellular in nature and porous, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and mercury porosimetry studies, respectively. MgAl₂O₄ nanoparticle loading plays a significant role in controlling microstructural properties i.e. cell size, pore size distribution, the amount of porosity, and pore morphology in the final sintered bodies. The rheological measurements are carried out to understand the morphological changes in the sintered body. The obtained porous MgAl₂O₄ foam with an interconnected cellular structure could find potential applications as an adsorptive material, catalyst support or in humidity sensors. In the present study, the as-prepared ceramic body with multimodal porosity is found to be an efficient separator for Congo red removal from contaminated water.