Adsorption of colloidal particles of Moringa oleifera seeds on clay for water treatment applications

This work was designed to produce microparticle composite systems from Moringa oleifera seed powder and clay microparticles (CMPs) for use in water treatment applications. Adsorption and immobilization of M. oleifera cationic protein (MOCP), obtained from the seed powder, onto core anionic CMP was carried out in a batch process. The CMP was incubated with MOCP and the formulated composite microparticle system was then resuspended in solutions of varying ionic strengths and conductivity was measured to determine the adsorption of MOCP onto CMP. The results generally showed an increase in the conductivity with increased ionic strength up to 0.8 M NaCl, after which the conductivity decreased. The MOCP-treated CMP and untreated CMP were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements and results showed differences in the absorbance and morphological features of treated CMP as compared to untreated CMP which further suggests adsorption and flocculation tendencies of the composite system. Flocculation capabilities of the formulated composites were studied by UV–visible spectrophotometry. The formulated composite system was found to be an environmentally friendly water treatment chemical since it is derived from locally sustainable natural products.