Synthesis of Hydrotalcite from Seawater and Its Application to Phosphorus Removal

10.0 wt% milk of lime was added to seawater containing AlCl 3 at Mg/Al molar ratio of 3.0 until pH 10.5 with stirring, and kept at 25;C for 1 h. Hydrotalcite (HT) was precipitated as a single phase, and Mg 2+ and Al 3+ were quantitatively precipitated. The chemical composition was [Mg 0.75 Al 0.25 (OH) 2 ][(SO 4 ) 0.06 (Cl) 0.02 (OH) 0.11 *];0.27H 2 O* (*Balance). A 100 mg-P/L Na 2 HPO 4 solution and the HT were shaken at 25;C. Phosphate removal increased with increasing time and the HT quantity, and was the highest at pH 7-9. Phosphate ion could be quantitatively removed, adding 8 times the stoichiometric quantity of the HT at pH 8.7 for 6 h.