Adsorption of β-carotene on modified magnesium silicate

Abstract

Modified flocculation magnesium silicate is prepared by a hydrothermal process at 120°C for 18 h after adding Al₂(SO₄)₃ into the magnesium silicate gel. Compared with standard magnesium silicate with 328.116 m² g^–1 surface area, this modified magnesium silicate has a bigger BET surface area of 536.803 m² g^–1 and a lower interlayer water content. Modified magnesium silicate exhibits high β-carotene adsorption with a maximum adsorption capacity of 364.96 mg g^–1. It is shown that when suspended in organic solvent, this material can be used effectively for carotenoid separation. Furthermore, our results suggest that modified magnesium silicate may be a promising candidate as an absorbent in the decoloring of oil.