Utilisation of a mesoporous silicate material for the removal of quaternary ammonium hydroxides (QAHs) from aqueous solution

A cubic mesoporous silicate (CMS) was prepared, characterised and assessed as an adsorbent for quaternary ammonium hydroxides (QAHs) from aqueous solution. The adsorption process was studied as a function of molecular size and CMS pore volume. Sorption closely followed the Langmuir model. A comparison of the CMS pore volume and the volume of the sorbed molecules suggested that monolayer sorption occurred and that the number of molecules sorbed was a function of the size of the quaternary ammonium hydroxide molecule and the threshold area capable of being occupied by this molecule.