Phosphate Removal from Aqueous Solution Using Coir-Pith Activated Carbon

The present study deals with the removal of phosphates from aqueous solution using activated carbon developed from coir pith. Batch adsorption experiments were performed to delineate the effect of initial pH, contact time, adsorbent dose and temperature on the removal of phosphates by coir-pith activated carbon (CAC) (activated by H₂SO₄). The removal was found to be maximum in the pH range of 6–10. The kinetics of adsorption showed that the phosphate adsorption onto CAC was a gradual process with a quasi-equilibrium being attained in 3 h. The adsorption equilibrium data followed the Temkin isotherm. Thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG ^o , ΔH ^o , and ΔS ^o were evaluated by applying the Arrhenius and van't Hoff equations, and it was found that the adsorption of phosphate on CAC was spontaneous and endothermic.     

Removal of Pb(II) from Aqueous Solutions by using Chitosan Coated Zero Valent Iron Nanoparticles

This study reports the synthesis, characterization, and application of chitosan coated zero valent iron nanoparticles (CTS-Fe⁰) in the removal of Pb(II) from aqueous medium. This nano adsorbent showed a high adsorption capacity and efficient adsorption towards Pb(II) in aqueous medium. Adsorption of Pb(II) on CTS-Fe⁰ obeyed pseudo-second order kinetics and was controlled by a film diffusion process. Among the various isotherm models the experimental data followed the Langmuir isotherm and the maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 666.6 mg/g at pH 5.0 and 318 K. The sorption mean free energy from D-R isotherm was found to be 72, 131, and 177 J/mol at 298, 308, and 318 K, respectively, indicating a physical sorption. The percentage of Pb(II) removal by CTS-Fe⁰ particles is more than 90% at 318 K. The calculated thermodynamic parameters showed that the adsorption of Pb(II) is feasible, spontaneous, and endothermic in nature. Experimental results indicated that the CTS-Fe⁰ appears to be a promising adsorbent for the removal of Pb(II) from aqueous media.     

Adsorptive Removal of Rhodamine B with Activated Carbon Obtained from Okra Wastes

This study aimed at preparing and optimizing an activated carbon (OAC) obtained from dry okra wastes by chemical activation with zinc chloride. Also, Rhodamine B removal performance from aqueous solution was analyzed by using this optimized activated carbon. The characterization of the resultant activated carbon, with a high surface area of 1044?m²/g, was carried out using thermogravimetric analysis, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller model, t-plot, N₂ adsorption/desorption isotherms, density functional theory, elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and the point of zero charge. Furthermore, the effects of operating conditions (contact time, initial concentration, adsorbent dosage, temperature, and pH) on Rhodamine B adsorption onto OAC were investigated. Langmuir model was determined to be the best adsorption process, and the maximum adsorption capacity was calculated to be 321.50?mg/g at 25°C. Also, the intraparticle diffusion and boundary layer diffusion were involved in RhB adsorption onto OAC. Moreover, OAC adsorption curves of Rhodamine B followed pseudo second-order model. At 25°C, Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and entropy obtained from thermodynamic studies were determined to be ?27.87?kJ/mol, 13.03?kJ/mol, and 0.15?kJ/mol K, respectively. These thermodynamic values revealed that Rhodamine B adsorption onto OAC was feasible, endothermic, physical, and spontaneous.     

Removal of Acid Violet 17 from Aqueous Solutions by Adsorption onto Activated Carbon Prepared from Pistachio Nut Shell

Adsorbents prepared from pistachio nut shell, an agricultural waste biomass, were successfully used to remove Acid Violet 17 from an aqueous solution. The activated carbons PNS1, PNS2, and PNS3 were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier Transform – Infra Red spectroscopy (FTIR) and (BET). The effect of pH, adsorbent dosage, and temperature on dye removal was studied. Maximum color removal was observed at pH 2. The adsorption increased with the increase in adsorbent dosage. As the adsorption capacity increased with the increase in temperature, the process was concluded to be endothermic. The experimental data were analyzed by the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models of adsorption. Equilibrium data fitted well with the Langmuir model. The rates of adsorption confirmed the pseudo-second order kinetics with good correlation values. The results indicated that the activated carbon prepared from pistachio nut shell can be effectively used for the removal of Acid Violet 17 from aqueous solution.     

Rapid Removal of Toxic Remazol Brilliant Blue-R Dye from Aqueous Solutions Using Juglans nigra Shell Biomass Activated Carbon as Potential Adsorbent: Optimization,Isotherm, Kinetic,and Thermodynamic Investigation

Recently, the treatment of effluent by agricultural waste biomass has significantly attracted wide interest among researchers due to its availability, efficacy, and low cost. The removal of toxic Remazol Brilliant Blue-R (RBBR) from aqueous solutions using HNO₃-treated Juglans nigra (walnut) shell biomass carbon as an adsorbent has been examined under various experimental conditions, such as initial pH, adsorbate concentration, adsorbent dosage, particle size, agitation speed, and type of electrolyte. The experiments are designed to achieve the maximum dye removal efficiency using the response surface methodology (RSM). The optimum pH, adsorbent dosage, and particle size were found to be 1.5, 7 g L⁻¹, and 64 μm, respectively for maximum decolorization efficiency (98.24%). The prepared adsorbent was characterized by particle size, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area, pore volume, zero-point charge (pH_zpc), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (FE-SEM/EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Based on fitting the experimental data with various models, the isotherm and kinetic mechanism are found to be more appropriate with Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetics. The adsorption mechanism can be described by the intra-particle diffusion model, Bangham, and Boyd plots. The overall rate of adsorption is controlled by the external film diffusion of dye molecules. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity, (q_max) 54.38 mg g⁻¹ for RBBR dye, was obtained at a temperature of 301 K. From a thermodynamic standpoint, the process is endothermic, spontaneous, and the chemisorption process is favored at high temperatures. Desorption studies were conducted with various desorbing reagents in various runs and the maximum desorption efficiency (61.78% in the third run) was obtained using the solvent methanol. Reusability studies demonstrated that the prepared adsorbent was effective for up to three runs of operation. The investigation outcomes concluded that walnut shell biomass activated carbon (WSBAC) is a cost-effective, eco-friendly, and bio-sustainable material that can be used for synthetic dye decolorization in aqueous media.     

Coconut (Cocos nucifera) Shell Based Activated Carbon for the Removal of Malachite Green Dye from Aqueous Solutions

The adsorption of malachite green (MG) dye using coconut shell based activated carbon (CSAC) was investigated. Operational factors such as the effect of pH, initial dye concentration, adsorbent dosage, contact time, and solution temperature on the adsorption process were studied. Solution pH strongly affected the chemistry of both the dye molecule and CSAC in solution. Optimum dye removal was obtained at pH ≥ 8.0. Equilibrium was reached in 120 minutes contact time. The Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin–Radushkevich (D-R) isotherm models were used to evaluate the adsorption data. The adsorption data fitted the Langmuir model most with maximum adsorption monolayer coverage of 214.63 mg/g. Pseudo-first-order, pseudo second-order, and intraparticle diffusion models were also used to fit the experimental data. Kinetic parameters, rate constants, equilibrium sorption capacities, and related correlation coefficients, for each model were calculated and discussed. Thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG⁰, ΔH⁰, and ΔS⁰ were evaluated and it was found that the sorption process was feasible, spontaneous, and exothermic in nature. The mean free energy obtained from D-R isotherm suggests that the adsorption process follows physiosorption mechanism. The results showed that coconut shells could be employed as a low-cost precursor in activated carbon preparation for the removal of MG dye from wastewaters.     

Removal of Selected Basic Dyes using Activated Carbon from Tannery Wastes

Activated carbon prepared from tannery leather waste (TLW-AC) has been studied for its efficiency of removal of basic dyes, namely rhodamine B (RB), methylene blue (MB), and malachite green (MG) from aqueous solutions. Factors influencing dye adsorption such as the concentration of dye, pH, contact time, and temperature were investigated. The adsorption was found to be strongly dependent on the pH and temperature. The maximum sorption capacity of RB was obtained at pH 3 and for MB and MG was obtained at pH 11. Various thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG°, ΔH°, and ΔS° were calculated. The kinetic studies reveal that the adsorption process follows the pseudo second-order kinetic model. The equilibrium data have been well-described by the Langmuir and Freundlich models, and the data fitted well in both model equations. The study revealed that wastes from leather industry is an economically viable option for dye removal.     

柚子皮生物炭对Cd~(2+)的吸附性能研究

以固废物柚子皮为生物质代表,经炭化改性处理后,考察其对Cd2+的吸附特征。应用红外吸收光谱技术表征柚子皮生物炭表面的功能基团,考察了吸附剂的粒径和用量、Cd2+初始浓度、溶液p H以及吸附时间对吸附性能的影响。研究结果表明,在p H为5.0,吸附时间1 h,温度298 K条件下,0.1 g柚子皮生物炭对100 m L 10 mg/L Cd2+的去除效率达93%,平衡吸附量qe为9.35 mg/g。吸附反应符合动力学二级方程(R=0.993 6)。用Langmuir和Freundlich方程对吸附等温线进行拟合,发现Langmuir模型能更好地反应吸附过程特征。     

Dehydration of Ethanol-Water Mixture Using Activated Carbons from Sawdust and Palm Kernel Shells

This work was carried out to determine the optimum conditions for preparing activated carbons from sawdust and palm kernel shells (PKS); the maximum initial water concentration in feed solution to produce anhydrous ethanol using the adsorbents; and the effects of initial water concentration on water removal efficiency, selectivity, and adsorption capacity. The sawdust was chemically activated with ammonium chloride as catalyst while the PKS was carbonized and steam activated. Different particle sizes of the activated carbons were used in the study. The optimum conditions for preparing the activated carbons were established. It was found that only the activated sawdust particle sizes could break the ethanol-water azeotropic composition in feed solutions containing 5–9% (v/v) water to produce anhydrous ethanol. Powdered activated sawdust particles had the highest adsorption capacity compared to all the other particle sizes. The water removal efficiency, selectivity of water-to-ethanol adsorption, and adsorption capacity were higher at low initial water concentrations.     

Cyclic Sorption and Desorption of Cu(II) onto Coconut Shell and Iron Oxide Coated Sand

Sorption is a viable treatment technology for copper-rich gold mine tailings wastewater. For continuous application, the sorbent should be regenerated with an appropriate desorbent, and reused. In this study, the sequential sorption/desorption characteristics of Cu(II) on coconut shell (CS) and iron oxide coated sand (IOCS) were determined. In batch assays, CS was found to have a Cu(II) uptake capacity of 0.46 mg g^?1 and yielded a 93% removal efficiency, while the IOCS had a Cu(II) uptake capacity and removal efficiency of 0.49 mg g^?1 and 98%, respectively. Desorption experiments indicated that HCl (0.05 M) was an efficient desorbent for the recovery of Cu(II) from CS, with an average desorption efficiency of 96% (sustained for eight sorption and desorption cycles). HCl (0.05 M) did not diminish the CS's ability to sorb copper even after eight sorption/desorption cycles, but completely deteriorated the iron oxide structure of the IOCS within six cycles. This study showed that CS and IOCS are both good sorbents for Cu(II); but cyclical sorption/desorption using 0.05 M HCl is only feasible with CS.     

Removal of As(III) from Aqueous Solution Using Functionalized Ultrafine Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

Arsenic toxicity has become a major concern worldwide. Remediation of this problem needs the development of technology with improved materials and systems with high efficiency. We have demonstrated a simple and efficient method for the absolute removal of As(III) from high concentration As(III) treated water with a low contact time period. The process of As(III) adsorption follows pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The mechanism for high-adsorption efficiency is attributed to fatty acid binding domain-mediated surface conjugation of ultrafine Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles with As(III). We have also ensured the simultaneous separation of arsenic sorbed nanoparticles by entrapping them in hydrophilic calcium alginate beads and thereby a pure arsenic free solution has been obtained.     

Adsorption Kinetics and Thermodynamics of COD Removal of Acid Pre-treated Petrochemical Wastewater by using Granular Activated Carbon

Granular activated carbon (GAC) was used as adsorbent in batch experiments for the removal of COD from Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) wastewater. The results showed that COD adsorption onto GAC follows pseudo-second-order rate kinetics and that both boundary-layer diffusion and intraparticle diffusion are likely involved in the rate-limiting mechanisms. The adsorption of PTA wastewater components (COD) onto GAC was found to be exothermic. ΔH° value is ?18.34 kJ/ mol indicating the complexity of the adsorption which is neither completely physical nor chemical in nature. The energetically heterogenic nature of the GAC surface was depicted by the variation in ΔH_st,a with the surface loading.     

Adsorption Studies on the Removal of an Endocrine-Disrupting Compound (Bisphenol A) using Activated Carbon from Rice Straw Agricultural Waste

In this study, we used a two-stage process and potassium hydroxide (KOH) to transform waste biomass (rice straw) into activated carbon and then evaluated the adsorption capacity of the waste for removing bisphenol A (BPA) from an aqueous solution. Activated carbon removed BPA rapidly and effectively because of its high surface area and an adsorptive capacity (181.19 mg/g) that is significantly higher than many other adsorbents that have been developed in the recent past. The native and BPA-loaded adsorbents were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, elemental analysis, and Fourier transform infrared. Different adsorption parameters, such as the initial BPA concentration, contact time, temperature, and pH for BPA adsorption, were studied using a batch system. Equilibrium adsorption isotherms (Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin) and kinetics were investigated. The Langmuir model fits the experimental results well, compared to the Freundlich and Temkin models, and a pseudo-second-order equation was successfully used to describe the results of the kinetic studies. This study demonstrates that activated carbon produced from rice straw can be very effective in the adsorption of BPA from aqueous solution.     

Different Storage Conditions Influence Biocompatibility and Physicochemical Properties of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have attracted increasing attention in many biomedical fields. In magnetic drug targeting SPIONs are injected into a tumour supplying artery and accumulated inside the tumour with a magnet. The effectiveness of this therapy is thus dependent on magnetic properties, stability and biocompatibility of the particles. A good knowledge of the effect of storage conditions on those parameters is of utmost importance for the translation of the therapy concept into the clinic and for reproducibility in preclinical studies. Here, core shell SPIONs with a hybrid coating consisting of lauric acid and albumin were stored at different temperatures from 4 to 45 °C over twelve weeks and periodically tested for their physicochemical properties over time. Surprisingly, even at the highest storage temperature we did not observe denaturation of the protein or colloidal instability. However, the saturation magnetisation decreased by maximally 28.8% with clear correlation to time and storage temperature. Furthermore, the biocompatibility was clearly affected, as cellular uptake of the SPIONs into human T-lymphoma cells was crucially dependent on the storage conditions. Taken together, the results show that the particle properties undergo significant changes over time depending on the way they are stored.     

Removal of Crystal Violet Dye from Aqueous Solution Using Calcined and Uncalcined Mixed Clay Adsorbents

In this work, calcined and uncalcined mixed clays containing kaolin, ball clay, feldspar, pyrophyllite, and quartz are examined as a potential adsorbent for the removal of crystal violet dye from aqueous solution. These clays are characterized by nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). The kinetics and thermodynamic parameters as well as the effects of the pH, the temperature, and the adsorbent dosage have also been investigated. The experimental results indicate that the Langmuir model expresses the adsorption isotherm better than the Freundlich model. The obtained result showed a tremendous increase in the crystal violet adsorption capacity (1.9 × 10^?3 mol g^?1) after calcination, which is one order greater than that of the uncalcined mixed clay. The mechanism of the adsorption process is elucidated on the basis of experimental data. The percentage removal of crystal violet dye increases with increasing the pH, the temperature, and the adsorbent dosage. The investigation of kinetic studies indicates that the adsorption of crystal violet on calcined and uncalcined mixed clays could be described by the pseudo-second-order model. The negative Δ G ⁰ values obtained from the thermodynamic investigation confirm that the adsorption is spontaneous in nature. The adsorption results suggest that the calcined and uncalcined mixed clays can also be used as low cost alternatives to the expensive activated carbon for the removal of dyes from aqueous solution.     

Response Surface Modeling and Optimization of Remazol Brilliant Blue Reactive Dye Removal Using Periwinkle Shell-Based Activated Carbon

This work investigates both batch and optimization studies of adsorption of Remazol Brilliant Blue Reactive (RBBR) dye onto activated carbon prepared from periwinkle shells (PSAC). The effects of three preparation variables: CO₂ activation temperature, CO₂ activation time, and KOH: char impregnation ratio (IR) were studied using Response Surface Modeling (RSM). Based on the central composite design (CCD), a quadratic model and two-factor interaction models (2FI) were developed to correlate the three preparation variables to the two responses: RBBR dye removal and PSAC yield. The optimum conditions for preparing PSAC for adsorption of RBBR dye were found as follows: CO₂ activation temperature of 811°C, CO₂ activation time of 1.7 h and IR of 2.95, which resulted in 82.76% of RBBR dye removal and 35.83% of PSAC yield. Experimental results obtained agreed satisfactorily well with the model predictions. The activated carbon prepared under optimum conditions was mesoporous with BET surface area of 1894 m²/g, total pore volume of 1.107 cm³/g and average pore diameter of 2.32 nm. The surface morphology and functional groups of PSAC were respectively determined from the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR).     

Biological Properties of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Cellular and Molecular Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Superparamagnetic iron-oxide particles (SPIO) are used in different ways as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Particles with high nonspecific uptake are required for unspecific labeling of phagocytic cells whereas those that target specific molecules need to have very low unspecific cellular uptake. We compared iron-oxide particles with different core materials (magnetite, maghemite), different coatings (none, dextran, carboxydextran, polystyrene) and different hydrodynamic diameters (20–850 nm) for internalization kinetics, release of internalized particles, toxicity, localization of particles and ability to generate contrast in MRI. Particle uptake was investigated with U118 glioma cells und human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), which exhibit different phagocytic properties. In both cell types, the contrast agents Resovist, B102, non-coated Fe₃O₄ particles and microspheres were better internalized than dextran-coated Nanomag particles. SPIO uptake into the cells increased with particle/iron concentrations. Maximum intracellular accumulation of iron particles was observed between 24 h to 36 h of exposure. Most particles were retained in the cells for at least two weeks, were deeply internalized, and only few remained adsorbed at the cell surface. Internalized particles clustered in the cytosol of the cells. Furthermore, all particles showed a low toxicity. By MRI, monolayers consisting of 5000 Resovist-labeled cells could easily be visualized. Thus, for unspecific cell labeling, Resovist and microspheres show the highest potential, whereas Nanomag particles are promising contrast agents for target-specific labeling.     

Removal of Lead in a Fixed-Bed Column Packed with Activated Carbon and Crab Shell

ABSTRACT

Crab shell particles (Protunus trituberculatus) and activated carbon (Norit 0,8 SUPRA) were used as packing materials in a fixed-bed column. When 1 g crab shell was added in a column packed with 10 g activated carbon, breakthrough occurred at 1500 bed volumes as compared to 380 bed volumes for 10 g activated carbon only. The addition of crab shell particles into an activated carbon column resulted in an increased uptake of lead. The dramatic improvement might be attributed to an increase in and OH^? available for binding lead. From the results of SEM, XRD, and FT-IR analyses, the major mechanism of lead removal was based on dissolution of CaCO₃ in the crab shell followed by precipitation of Pb₃(CO₃)₂(OH)2(s) on the surface of activated carbon. The lead uptake increased twofold when the influent lead concentration was increased from 10 to 50 mg/L.     

Adsorption of Furfural from Aqueous Solution onto Activated Carbon: Kinetic,Equilibrium and Thermodynamic Study

Abstract

The present study aims to evaluate the influence of various experimental parameters viz. initial pH (pH ₀), adsorbent dose, contact time, initial concentration and temperature on the adsorptive removal of furfural from aqueous solution by commercial grade activated carbon (ACC). Optimum conditions for furfural removal were found to be pH ₀ ≈ 5.9, adsorbent dose ≈ 10 g/l of solution and equilibrium time ≈ 6.0 h. The adsorption followed pseudo‐second‐order kinetics. The effective diffusion coefficient of furfural was of the order of 10^?13 m²/s. Furfural adsorption onto ACC was found to be best represented by the Redlich‐Peterson isotherm. A decrease in the temperature of the operation favorably influenced the adsorption of furfural onto ACC. The positive values of the change in entropy (ΔS ⁰); and the negatived value of heat of adsorption (ΔH ⁰) and change in Gibbs free energy (ΔG ⁰) indicated feasible, exothermic, and spontaneous nature of furfural adsorption onto ACC.