Comparative Study of Sc(III) Sorption onto Carbon-based Materials

The sorption behavior of Sc(III) on different materials including activated carbon (AC), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene oxide (GO), and the chelating resin Chelex 100 was investigated. In general, the sorption of scandium increases with increasing pH. For pH in the range from 2.5 to 5.5, the sorption of Sc(III) onto CNTs, GO, and Chelex 100 is quantitative, whereas a significantly lower amount of scandium ions was retained on AC. The specific amount of Sc(III) adsorbed at pH 2 attained 2.1, 2.9, 36.5, and 37.9 mg g^?1 for AC-COOH, Chelex 100, GO, and CNTs-COOH, respectively. At pH 4, a similar value was obtained for oxidized AC (2.2 mg g^?1), whereas the specific amount adsorbed significantly increased for Chelex (23.4 mg g^?1). The highest values were obtained for GO (39.7 mg g^?1) and oxidized CNTs (42.5 mg g^?1). Better kinetic retention was observed at pH 2 for CNTs and GO, whereas at pH 4 the kinetic behavior of Chelex 100, GO, and CNTs toward Sc(III) was comparable.     

Adsorptive Removal of Lead from Battery Wastewater by Coconut Coir

The sorption behavior of lead ions on coconut coir has been investigated to decontaminate lead ions from aqueous solutions. Various physico-chemical parameters were optimized to simulate the best conditions in which this material can be used as an adsorbent. Maximum adsorption was observed at 0.0001 to 0.001 mol L^?1 of acid solutions (HNO₃, HCl and HClO₄) using 0.4 g of adsorbent for 4.83 × 10^?5 mol L^?1 lead concentration in ten minutes equilibration time. The adsorption of lead was decreased with the increase in the concentrations of all the acids used. The kinetic data indicated an intraparticle diffusion process with sorption being pseudo-second order. The determined rate constant k₂ was 8.8912 g mg^?1 min^?1. The adsorption data obeyed the Freundlich isotherm over the lead concentration range of 2.41 × 10^?4 to 1.45 × 10^?3 mol L^?1. The characteristic Freundlich constants i.e., 1/n = 0.44 ± 0.02 and K = 0.184 ± 0.0096 m mol g^?1 have been computed for the sorption system. The sorption mean free energy from the Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm is 10.48 ± 0.72 kJ mol^?1 indicating the ion-exchange mechanism of chemisorption. The uptake of lead increases with the rise in temperature (293–333 K). Thermodynamic quantities i.e., ΔG, ΔS, and ΔH have also been calculated for the system. The sorption process was found to be endothermic. The proposed procedure was successfully applied for the removal of lead from battery wastewater samples.     

Removal of Copper(II) and Zinc(II) from Aqueous Solutions Using a Lignocellulosic-Based Polymeric Adsorbent Containing Amidoxime Chelating Functional Groups

In this study, the adsorption of Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions from aqueous solutions onto amidoximated polymerized banana stem (APBS) has been investigated. Infrared spectroscopy was used to confirm graft copolymer formation and amidoxime functionalization. The different variables affecting the sorption capacity such as pH of the solution, adsorption time, initial metal ion concentration, and temperature have been investigated. The optimum pH for maximum adsorption was 10.5 (99.99%) for Zn²⁺ and 6.0 (99.0%) for Cu²⁺ at an initial concentration of 10 mg L^?1. Equilibrium was achieved approximately within 3 h. The experimental kinetic data were analyzed using pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models and are well fitted with pseudo- second-order kinetics. The thermodynamic activation parameters such as ΔG^o, ΔH^o, and ΔS^o were determined to predict the nature of adsorption. The temperature dependence indicates an exothermic process. The experimental isotherm data were well fitted to the Langmuir model with maximum adsorption capacities of 42.32 and 85.89 mg g^?1 for Cu(II) and Zn(II), respectively, at 20°C. The adsorption efficiency was tested using industrial effluents. Repeated adsorption/regeneration cycles show the feasibility of the APBS for the removal of Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions from water and industrial effluents.     

Evaluation of ion exchange resins for recovery of metals from electroplating sludge

In the present study, the recovery of metal ions from industrial solid residues from a galvanoplasty industry (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) was investigated by cationic and anionic ion exchange resins. The electroplating residues were composed of the metals Cu²⁺, Fe³⁺, Al³⁺, Ni²⁺, and Cr³⁺. The studies of sorption were conducted under batch and column conditions. Based on these studies, the sorption parameters and the breakthrough curves for both resins were determined. Studies of the sorption equilibrium and kinetics were also performed. The maximum sorption capacities q _e (mg g^?1) of the cationic resin were: Cu²⁺: 1.9, Fe³⁺: 0.6 and Al³⁺: 0.4. For the anionic resin, the maxim values of q _e were Cu²⁺: 0.4 and Fe³⁺: 0.1. The Freundlich model was more adequate to describe the ion exchange equilibrium and the sorption mechanism fit the pseudo second-order kinetic model for both resins. The breakpoint of Cu²⁺ (100 ppm) occurred after passing 1,860 and 2,220 cm³ of residue solution through 20.0 g of the resins (column with h:6.0 cm and d:4.3 cm, flow rate: 60 cm³ min^?1). The column regeneration was carried out for five sorption–desorption cycles using H₂SO₄ 2.4 mol L^?1 (cationic) and HCl 2.0 mol L^?1 (anionic).     

Sorption Potential of Styrene‐Divinylbenzene Copolymer Beads for the Decontamination of Lead from Aqueous Media

Abstract

The decontamination of lead ions from aqueous media has been investigated using styrene‐divinylbenzene copolymer beads (St‐DVB) as an adsorbent. Various physico‐chemical parameters such as selection of appropriate electrolyte, contact time, amount of adsorbent, concentration of adsorbate, effect of foreign ions, and temperature were optimized to simulate the best conditions which can be used to decontaminate lead from aqueous media using St‐DVB beads as an adsorbent. The atomic absorption spectrometric technique was used to determine the distribution of lead. Maximum adsorption was observed at 0.001 mol L^?1 acid solutions (HNO₃, HCl, H₂SO₄ and HClO₄) using 0.2 g of adsorbent for 4.83×10^?5 mol L^?1 lead concentration in two minutes equilibration time. The adsorption data followed the Freundlich, Langmuir, and Dubinin‐Radushkevich (D‐R) isotherms over the lead concentration range of 1.207×10^?3 to 2.413×10^?2 mol L^?1. The characteristic Freundlich constants i.e. 1/n=0.164±0.012 and A=2.345×10^?3±4.480×10^?5 mol g^?1 have been computed for the sorption system. Langmuir isotherm gave a saturated capacity of 0.971±0.011 mmol g^?1, which suggests monolayer coverage of the surface. The sorption mean free energy from D‐R isotherm was found to be 18.26±0.75 kJ mol^?1 indicating chemisorption involving chemical bonding for the adsorption process. The uptake of lead increases with the rise in temperature. Thermodynamic parameters i.e. ΔG, ΔH, and ΔS have also been calculated for the system. The sorption process was found to be exothermic. The developed procedure was successfully applied for the removal of lead ions from real battery wastewater samples.     

Uptake of hazardous heavy metal ions by aqueous solution of poly(acrylamide) prepared through atom transfer radical polymerization process

Poly(acrylamide) (PACM) used in this study was prepared through an effective atom transfer radical polymerization process and characterized by NMR, FTIR, and thermo gravimetric analysis. Resulting polymer was used for the uptake of heavy metal ions from aqueous solution. Partition coefficient, retention capacity, and metal ion uptake behavior in aqueous solution of PACM at different monomer percent conversions and effect of parameters for optimization of polymerization reaction gives thermally stable PACM. Efficiency of metal ion uptake of different molecular weights of PACM were tested in batches for Ni²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Hg²⁺ ions in single metal solution. Metal ion sorption capacities increase with increase in polymer concentration. Metal ion sorption capacities in single metal system were 6.3 mg g^?1 Ni²⁺, 6.0 mg g^?1 Pb²⁺, 6.9 mg g^?1 Cu²⁺, 6.2 mg g^?1 Zn²⁺, 22.4 mg g^?1 Hg²⁺ for PACM of 88% conversion (Mn = 19,850). Uptake by the PACM indicates that they are effective in removing metal ions from single metal ion solutions. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Potential of Sawdust for the Decontamination of Lead from Aqueous Media

Abstract

The sorption of lead ions on sawdust has been exploited to evaluate its potential for the decontamination of lead ions from aqueous solutions. Various physico‐chemical parameters such as selection of appropriate electrolyte, equilibration time, amount of adsorbent, concentration of adsorbate, effect of diverse ions and temperature were studied in order to simulate the best conditions in which this material can be used as an adsorbent. Maximum adsorption was observed at 0.005 mol · L^?1 acid solutions (HNO₃, HCl, and HClO₄) using 0.2 g of adsorbent for 4.83×10^?5 mol · L^?1 lead concentration in 10 min equilibration time. Studies show that the adsorption of lead decreases with the increase in the concentrations of all the acids. The adsorption data follows the Freundlich isotherm over the lead concentration range of 2.41×10^?5 to 4.83×10^?4 mol · L^?1. The characteristic Freundlich constants, i.e., 1/n=0.49±0.02 and K=0.142±0.0038 m · mol · g^?1 have been computed for the sorption system. The sorption mean free energy from the Dubinin‐Radushkevich isotherm is 11.26±0.31 kJ mol^?1 indicating ion‐exchange mechanism of chemisorption. The uptake of lead decreases with the rise in temperature (293–323 K). Thermodynamic quantities, i.e., ΔG, ΔS, and ΔH have also been calculated for the system. The sorption process was found to be exothermic. The proposed procedure was applied for the removal of lead from battery water samples.     

Removal of lead (II) and cadmium (II) from aqueous solutions using spent Agaricus bisporus

The sorption of Pb and Cd from aqueous solutions by spent Agaricus bisporus was investigated. The effects of contact time, pH, ionic medium, initial metal concentration, other metal ions presence and ligands were studied in batch experiments at 25°C. Maximum sorption for both metals was found to occur at an initial pH of around 5.5. The equilibrium process was well described by the Langmuir isotherm model, with maximum sorption capacities of 0.2345 and 0.1273 mmol g^?1 for Pb and Cd respectively. Kinetic data followed the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model. The presence of NaCl and NaClO₄ caused a reduction in Cd sorption, while Pb sorption was not remarkably affected. The presence of other metals did not affect Pb removal, while the Cd removal was much reduced. HCl or EDTA solutions were able to desorb Cd from the spent Agaricus bisporus (SAB) completely, while an approximately 60% and 15% desorption yield was obtained for Pb when HCl 0.01 mol L^?1 or EDTA 0.001 mol L^?1 were used, respectively. The results of FTIR, SEM and EDX analysis indicated that other mechanisms, such as surface complexation and electrostatic interactions, must be involved in the metal sorption in addition to ion exchange. © 2012 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering     

Potential of Rice Husk for the Decontamination of Silver Ions from Aqueous Media

The sorption behavior of silver ions on rice husk has been investigated in detail. Various physico-chemical parameters were optimized to simulate the best conditions in which this material can be used as an adsorbent. Maximum adsorption was observed at 0.001 mol L^?1 of acid solutions (HNO₃, H₂SO₄ and HClO₄) using 0.5 g of adsorbent for 9.27 × 10^?5 mol L^?1 silver concentration in fifteen minutes equilibration time. The adsorption of silver was decreased with the increase in the concentrations of all the acids used. The kinetic data indicated an intraparticle diffusion process with sorption being pseudo-second order. The determined rate constant k₂ was 14.707 ± 1.832 mol g^?1 min^?1. The adsorption data obeyed the Freundlich, Langmuir, and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherms over the silver concentration range of 1.85 × 10^?4 to 1.16 × 10^?3 mol L^?1. The characteristic Freundlich constants, that is, 1/n = 0.38 ± 0.033 and K = 0.271 ± 0.104 m mol g^?1 whereas the Langmuir constants Q = (1.504 ± 0.054) × 10^?2 m mol g^?1 and b = (16.582 ± 2.227) × 10³ dm³ mol^?1 have been computed for the sorption system. The sorption mean free energy from the Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm is 12.16 ± 0.82 kJ mol^?1 indicating ion-exchange mechanism of chemisorption. The uptake of silver increases with the rise in temperature (283–333 K). Thermodynamic quantities, namely, ΔG, ΔS, and ΔH have also been calculated for the system. The sorption process was found to be endothermic. The effect of other cations and anions on the adsorption of silver has also been studied.     

Macromolecular Chelator‐Amberlite XAD‐16 Anchored with 2,3‐Dihydroxypyridine (DHP) for Enrichment of Metal Ions before their Determination by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

Abstract

2,3‐Dihydroxypyridine (DHP) was loaded onto Amberlite XAD‐16 via azo linker and the resulting resin AXAD‐16‐DHP explored for enrichment of Zn(II), Mn(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), Cd(II), Cu(II), Fe(III), and Co(II) in the pH range 4.0–6.5. The sorption capacity was found in the range 120–512 µmol g^?1 and the preconcentration factor from 200 to 300. Tolerance limits for foreign species are reported. The kinetics of sorption is fast, as t_1/2 is generally ≤2 min. The chelating resin can be reused for fifty cycles of sorption‐desorption without any significant change (≤2.0%) in its sorption capacity. The limit of detection values (blank + 3s) are 2.90, 3.80, 5.17, 7.02, 1.91, 1.63, 4.59, and 5.02 µg L^?1 for Zn, Mn, Ni, Pb, Cd, Cu, Fe, and Co respectively. The corresponding limit of quantification (blank + 10 s) values are 5.30, 6.20, 8.38, 9.54, 4.22, 4.17, 8.62, and 9.86 µg L^?1, respectively. The enrichment on AXAD‐16‐DHP coupled with monitoring by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) is used to determine these metal ions in river and synthetic water samples, Co in vitamin tablets, and Zn in milk samples. AXAD‐16‐DHP has been found to perform better than DHP loaded cellulose and Amberlite XAD‐2.     

Sorption of cadmium and lead ions on modified groundnut (Arachis hypogea) husks

The removal of cadmium and lead ions from aqueous solutions by groundnut husks modified by reaction with EDTA (% N = 12.05) was examined by equilibrium sorption studies at 29°C. The maximum metal ion binding capacity of the EDTA-modified husk determined from the sorption isotherm from solutions of pH 6.8 was found to be 0.36 mmol g^?1 and 0.19 mmol g^?1 for Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions, respectively. It was found that the rate of sorption was particle-diffusion controlled, and the particle-diffusion control rate coefficient was determined to be of the order of 10^?2 min^?1.     

Synthesis and application of amine functionalized silica mesoporous magnetite nanoparticles for removal of chromium(VI) from aqueous solutions

In this research, novel nanoparticles of Kit-6 mesoporous silica magnetite were synthesized with 9.6 nm pore diameter and 241.68 m² g^?1 surface area. The synthesized mesoporous magnetite nanoparticles (MMNPs) were functionalized with amine groups. Scanning electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nitrogen adsorption–desorption method confirmed the morphology and structure of the synthesized nanoparticles. The amine functionalized MMNPs were used for sorption of toxic chromate ions from aqueous samples. The effect of various experimental parameters (four factors at three levels) on the sorption efficiency of Cr(VI) was studied and optimized via Taguchi L₉ (3⁴) orthogonal array experimental design. At optimum conditions, the sorption of the Cr(VI) was best described by a pseudo second-order kinetic model with R² = 0.9999 and q_eq = 129.8 mg g^?1, suggesting chemisorption mechanism. Adsorption data were fitted well to the Langmuir isotherm and the synthesized sorbent showed complete ion removal with 185.2 mg g^?1sorption capacity.     

Artificial neural network and multiple linear regression for modeling sorption of Pb2+ ions from aqueous solutions onto modified walnut shell

ABSTRACT

In the present work, for the first time, a new carboxylate-functionalized walnut shell (CFWS) was prepared via esterification of walnut shell (WS) with isopropylidene malonate. The characterization of the CFWS by different techniques approved that carboxylic groups were introduced onto the surface of WS. The performance of the modified adsorbent was studied for the removal of Pb²⁺ ions from aqueous solutions in a batch adsorption system. The analysis data showed that the Langmuir isotherm could satisfactorily explain the equilibrium data, and the maximum adsorption capacity for Pb²⁺ ions was found to be 192.3 mg g^?1 at 0.8 g L^?1 of the adsorbent, pH 5.5, and a temprature of 298 K. Two models, namely artificial neural network (ANN) and multiple linear regression (MLR), were used to construct an empirical model for prediction of the removal percentage of Pb²⁺ ions under different experimental conditions. These models were validated using a test set of 20 data. A comparison between the developed models shows that the ANN model is able to predict the removal percentage of Pb²⁺ ions more accurately. Consequently, the ANN model could be applied for the design of an automated wastewater remediation plan. Also it has to be noted that the used CFWS was recovered using EDTA-2Na, and employed for the removal of Pb²⁺ ions from aqueous solutions.     

Sorption of Cu(II) Ions from Aqueous Solution with Synthesized B-Doped Heptazine-Based g-C/N/H Polymers

In this study, boron doped heptazine-based g-C/N/H polymers (B-doped heptazine-based g-C/N/H polymers) were synthesized by the pyrolysis process of the mixture of low cost H₃BO₃ and melamine. X-ray power diffractometer (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were applied to characterize the successful doping of B atoms into the nanostructure of the graphic-C₃N₄ (heptazine-based g-C/N/H polymers). The synthesized material was conducted to investigate the sorption capacity for Cu(II) ions from aqueous solution and the sorption conditions including the doped amount, the solution pH, the contact time, and initial concentration were optimized. The results indicated that the sorption process was dependent on solution pH and the optimum pH was from 3.0 to 6.0. The kinetics was well evaluated by pseudo-second-order which indicated that the main rate-determining step was controlled by the chemical sorption process. The maximum sorption capacity calculated from Langmuir model amounted to 149.3 mg g^?1 with the initial concentration range from 80 ～ 800 mg L^?1. So, B-doped heptazine-based g-C/N/H polymers have the potential application as a low cost adsorbent for high concentration Cu(II) ions in aqueous solution.     

THIOCYANATE-ASSISTED SOLID PHASE ENRICHMENT OF Cu(II) USING PYRIDINE DERIVATIVE WITH X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE

Equimolar mixture of pyridine-2,6-dimethanol (PDM), and thiocyanate ion immobilized on silica serves as an efficient sorbent for selective retention of Cu(II) from other associated metal ions at µg g^?1 level. The maximum sorption capacity for Cu(II) was found as 2.44 mmol g^?1 at pH 6.0. The sorbed Cu(II) was completely eluted with 3 mol L^?1 HNO₃ and measured with a flame atomic absorption spectrometer (FAAS). The structure of the extracted Cu(II) complex was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray structure analysis and Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of the isolated Cu(II) complex was performed to determine its thermal stability at the extraction temperature. The three sigma detection limit (N = 15) of the method is 0.6 µ g mL^?1 with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 0.1% (N = 15). Pre-concentration factor of the method is 133. Slight interference from Mn²⁺ ion was eliminated by prior oxidation with potassium periodate. The developed method was tested for trace level separation and estimation of Cu(II) in certified reference materials and environmental samples.

[Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Chemical Engineering Communications for the following free supplemental resources: two tables providing details of the bond lengths and bond angles of the Cu(II) complex.]     

Arsenic Removal from Aqueous Solution by Iron Oxide-Coated Biomass: Common Ion Effects and Thermodynamic Analysis

Abstract

A batch study showed that the presence of anions (sulfate, chloride, and nitrate) in solution did not affect the adsorption process of both As(V) and As(III) by iron oxide-coated A. niger biomass. It was found that the presence of Ca²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Mg²⁺ ions at a concentration of 200 mg/L in solution could increase the removal efficiency of As(V) by 86.5%, 95.4%, and 65.8%, respectively. Similarly, the presence of Ca²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Mg²⁺ ions at a concentration of 200 mg/L in solution could increase the removal efficiency of As(III) by 39.3%, 97%, and 8.4%, respectively. The batch adsorption-desorption study showed that the reactions between the arsenic species and the iron oxide-coated A. niger biomass were reversible. Desorption of As(V) and As(III) at neutral pH was approximately 15%. As(V) desorbed more than As(III) in acidic (pH 1.33) and alkaline (pH 12.56) solutions. At a pH of 1.33, 67% of the adsorbed As(V) desorbed, and the percentage of desorbed As(III) was only 47.1% in the same condition. At a solution pH of 12.56, 73.4% of the As(V), and 43.7% of As(III) desorbed. The thermodynamic study showed the spontaneous nature of the sorption of arsenic on IOCB. The high value of the heat of adsorption {ΔH ≈ ? 133 kJ/mol for As(V), and 88.9 k/mol for As(III)} indicated that the mechanism of arsenic sorption was chemisorption.     

Novel porous organic triazine‐based polyimide with high nitrogen levels for highly efficient removal of Ni(II) from aqueous solution

In this study, a porous organic triazine‐based polyimide (PPI network) was prepared from 2,4,6‐tris(hydrazino)‐s‐triazine and 3,4,9,10‐perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride. TGA, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission SEM, XRD and a nitrogen sorption study confirmed the PPI network structure. Then, the synthesized PPI network was used to evaluate Ni²⁺ ion removal from aqueous solution and the effective parameters on adsorption functions of Ni²⁺ ions such as initial concentration, contact time and pH of the solution in batch adsorption experiments was studied. The results showed that the maximum adsorption capacity (q_m) of Ni²⁺ ions was 36.1 mg g^?1 in only 30 min with a pH of 7. The kinetics and adsorption isotherm were identified to be better fitted by the pseudo‐second‐order model and the Langmuir model, respectively. Based on the results, the proposed adsorbent has good potential for removing Ni²⁺ ions from aqueous solutions. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

DOWEX M 4195 and LEWATIT® MonoPlus TP 220 in Heavy Metal Ions Removal from Acidic Streams

Two chelating ion exchangers possessing bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine functional groups also known as bispicolylamine Dowex M4195, Lewatit^® MonoPlus TP 220 were used for the selective removal of Cu(II) ions from acidic streams. The resin was characterized by CHNS elementary analysis, surface area, pore size, and volume analysis. After cutting by ultramicrotome, scans using electron microscope and optical profiler were recorded. For the first time the interiors of these resins after the sorption process were shown. Their superior binding affinities for Cu(II) was confirmed even under high acidities. Various physiochemical parameters like solution pH, ion exchange dose, presence of chloride, and sulfate ions in the system were studied in order to determine sorption capacity and kinetic parameters. The most effective chelating ion exchanger proved to be Lewatit^® MonoPlus TP 220. Cu(II) ions sorption was affected by the presence of sulfate ions in the system. The monolayer sorption capacity (q₀) for Lewatit^® MonoPlus TP 220 was found to be 50.69 mg g^?1 and 86.44 mg g^?1 in the presence of chloride ions. The sorption of Cu(II) ions was found to be well represented by the pseudo second-order kinetics. The optimal desorption conditions were found using 1 M H₂SO₄ and 1 M NH₄OH.     

Gold Recovery from HCl Solutions using Cyphos IL‐101 (a Quaternary Phosphonium Ionic Liquid) Immobilized in Biopolymer Capsules

Tetraalkyl phosphonium chloride (Cyphos IL‐101), an ionic liquid (IL), was tested for gold recovery from HCl solutions: first in liquid/liquid extraction systems (using toluene and hexane as solvent) and in a second step, after being immobilized in a biopolymer composite matrix. SEM‐EDAX analysis was used for the characterization of the resins. The sorption capacity reached up to 140 mg Au(III) g^?1 in 1 M HCl solutions. Base metals that do not form anionic chlorocomplexes and nitrate or chloride ions (at 5 g L^?1) did not interfere with Au(III) binding. Gold binding probably occurs through the interaction of R₃R'P⁺ with AuCl₄ ^?. The kinetics of sorption was carried out varying agitation speed, metal concentration, IL content, and resin drying. Intraparticle diffusion played an important role on the control of sorption kinetics. Gold could be desorbed from the loaded IL‐impregnated resin using thiourea (in HCl solutions). The resin could be re‐used for at least 4 cycles. The resins are specially adapted for the recovery of gold from low metal concentrations.     

Biosorptive uranium uptake by a Pseudomonas strain: characterization and equilibrium studies

The biosorptive uranium(VI) uptake capacity of live and lyophilized Pseudomonas cells was characterized in terms of equilibrium metal loading, effect of solution pH and possible interference by selected co‐ions. Uranium binding by the test biomass was rapid, achieving >90% sorption efficiency within 10 min of contact and the equilibrium was attained after 1 h. pH‐dependent uranium sorption was observed for both biomass types with the maximum being at pH 5.0. Metal uptake by live cells was not affected by culture age and the presence of an energy source or metabolic inhibitor. Sorption isotherm studies at a solution pH of either 3.5 or 5.0 indicated efficient and exceptionally high uranium loading by the test biomass, particularly at the higher pH level. At equilibrium, the lyophilized Pseudomonas exhibited a metal loading of 541 ± 34.21 mg g^?1 compared with a lower value by the live organisms (410 ± 25.93 mg g^?1). Experimental sorption data showing conformity to both Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models indicate monolayered uranium binding by the test biomass. In bimetallic combinations a significant interference in uranium loading was offered by cations such as thorium(IV), iron(II and III), aluminium(III) and copper(II), while the anions tested, except carbonate, were ineffective. Uranium sorption studies in the presence of a range of Fe³⁺ and SO₄^2? concentrations indicate a strong inhibition (80%) by the former at an equimolar ratio while more than 70% adsorption efficiency was retained even at a high sulfate level (30 000 mg dm^?3). Overall data indicate the suitability of the Pseudomonas sp biomass in developing a biosorbent for uranium removal from aqueous waste streams. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry