Preparation, characterization, and studying physical properties of ceramic media from porcelanite, alumina, and pine leaves

The present study investigates the functional and structural characteristics of ceramic media consisting of porcelanite, alumina, and pine needle leaves (PL). The batches are divided into five mixtures: Mix No. 1 contains (50% porcelanite, 50% alumina) without adding pine leaves, Mix No. 2 (50% porcelanite, 40% alumina, 10% pine leaves) and Mix No. 3 (50% porcelanite, 35% alumina, 15% Pine leaves) mixture No. 4 (50% porcelanite, 30% alumina, 20% pine leaves) and finally mixture No. 5 (50% porcelanite, 25% alumina, 25% pine leaves). The raw materials were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), which demonstrate that porcelanite is mainly composed of hexagonal quartz phase silica, and alumina is composed of Boehmite and gibbsite. The physical properties of the prepared ceramic media were measured (apparent density, apparent porosity, and water absorption). The density decreases as the percentage of pine increases, while the porosity and water absorption increase due to the low density of pine leaves. The research revealed that increasing the PL amount decreased density from 1.892 g/cm³ to 0.943 g/cm³, while the porosity was increased from 10.8% to 16%, and water absorption increased from 5.707% to 17.414%. These results demonstrate the potential of PL-modified ceramic filters as long-term, reliable water purification options.