Preparation and characterization of Montmorillonite/ZrO2 nanocomposite and its application for removal of Congo red

Montmorillonite/ZrO2 nanocomposites were prepared by the sol-gel method underultrasonic irradiation. The montmorillonite was incorporated into Zirconium gel. After stirring for 24 hr, the mixture was irradiated for 30 min under ultrasonic irradiation. The filtrated composite gel was calcinated at 400°C for 3h in furnace. The morphology of prepared catalysts was characterized by field emission scanning electronic microscopy (FESEM). Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) determined the elemental analysis. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) was specified the vibration modes. Moreover, the crystallite size and crystalline structure were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The photodegradation properties of MMT, ZrO2 and MMT/ZrO2 nanocomposites were compared for removal of Congo red. The results indicated that the photodegradation property of the MMT/ZrO2 nanocomposites was higher than of bare nano ZrO2.