Nickel and cobalt sorption on anaerobic granular sludges: kinetic and equilibrium studies

The kinetics and equilibria of sorption of the divalent metal ions cobalt and nickel onto anaerobic granular sludge are described. Single component and binary equimolar systems were studied at different pH values (pH 6, 7 and 8). The kinetic modelling of metal sorption by anaerobic granular sludge has been carried out using Lagergren equations. On fitting the experimental kinetic data both in first‐ and pseudo‐second‐order equations, the regression analysis of a pseudo‐second‐order equation gave a higher r² value, indicating that both external mass transfer and intra‐particle diffusion are involved in the sorption process. The experimental isotherm data were analysed using the Langmuir, Freundlich and Redlich–Peterson equations. The Redlich isotherm, a combination of the Langmuir and Freundlich equations, was found to have the highest regression correlation coefficients at pH 7. At pH 8, the Langmuir mechanism dominated for cobalt and nickel adsorption. In contrast, at pH 6, the Freundlich equation gave a better correlation coefficient which suggests a more heterogeneous adsorption at that pH. The maximal adsorption capacity of the granular sludge, as determined by the Langmuir equation, for cobalt or nickel in single systems (8.92 mg g^?1 Co TSS; 9.41 mg g^?1 Ni TSS, pH 7) compared with binary systems (8.06 mg g^?1 Co TSS; 8.43 mg g^?1 Ni TSS, pH 7) showed no great difference in the accumulation of these metals onto granular sludge. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Modification and magnetization of MOF (HKUST-1) for the removal of Sr2+ from aqueous solutions. Equilibrium,kinetic and thermodynamic modeling studies

In this research, metal-organic framework MOF(HKUST-1) was synthesized, magnetized and modified by hexacyanoferrate in order to prepare an efficient adsorbent for the removal of Sr²⁺ from aqueous solutions. The synthesized adsorbent was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, thermal methods (TG-DTG[Themogravimetry- Derivative Theromogravimetry]), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The non-magnetized (MOF/KNiFC[potassium nickel hexacyanoferrate]) and magnetized (MOF/Fe₃O₄/KNiFC) adsorbents were then employed for the removal of Sr²⁺ from aqueous solutions. The adsorption capacity of 110 and 90 mg.g^?1 was obtained, respectively, for MOF/KNiFC and MOF/Fe₃O₄/KNiFC. The adsorption process was kinetically fast and the equilibration was established within 45 min. The magnetic capability of the adsorbent examined by the vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) technique indicated that the used adsorbent was capable of separating from the solution by applying an external magnetic field. The adsorbent showed good selectivity toward Sr²⁺ in the presence of Cs⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺ and Ba²⁺. The regenerated adsorbent retained more than 90% of its initial capacity. Different isotherm models including Langmuir, Freundlich, Tempkin, Sips and Redlich–Peterson were employed to examine the applicability of the isotherms to the experimental data. It was concluded that the data was best fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model. The thermodynamic parameters showed that the process was endothermic.     

Equilibrium Parameters for the Sorption of Copper,Cadmium and Zinc Ions onto Peat

This paper details a study into the sorption of three divalent metal ions—namely cadmium, copper and zinc—onto peat, in single component, binary and ternary systems. The Langmuir Freundlich and Redlich–Peterson equilibrium isotherms for each metal ion in each system have been determined and correlated. The Langmuir isotherms have been found to have the highest regression correlation coefficients. © 1997 SCI.     

Biosorption of methylene blue from aqueous solution by softstem bulrush (Scirpus tabernaemontani Gmel.)

BACKGROUND: The removal of methylene blue from aqueous solution was studied using softstem bulrush (Scirpus tabernaemontani Gmel.) as the biosorbent. The effects of various parameters including contact time, biosorbent dosage, ionic strength and solution pH on the biosorption were investigated. RESULTS: The sorption capacity increased with an increase in biosorbent dosage and a decrease in ionic strength. The equilibrium time was found to be 240 min for full equilibration. Pseudo‐first‐order, pseudo‐second‐order, Bangham equation and intraparticle diffusion models were applied to fit the kinetic data, and the results showed that the sorption process followed the pseudo‐second‐order model. Equilibrium data conformed to Langmuir and Redlich–Peterson isotherm models, with a maximum monolayer biosorption capacity of 53.8 mg g^?1 for the Langmuir isotherm at 18 °C. The value of ΔG was estimated to be ? 29.24 kJ mol^?1, indicating the spontaneous nature of the biosorption. The biosorption process was strongly pH‐dependent and favourable at alkaline pH. CONCLUSION: Softstem bulrush, which is readily available and inexpensive, could be employed as a promising biosorbent for the removal of dye. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Removal of Cs1+, Sr2+ and Co2+ from aqueous solutions by adsorption on natural clinoptilolite

The adsorption properties of local clinoptilolite (Serbia) towards Cs⁺, Co²⁺, and Sr²⁺ were investigated by batch equilibration technique. The influence of equilibration time, initial metal cation concentration, solution pH and presence of EDTA on these properties was studied and discussed. Kinetic data were found to be well fitted with pseudo-second order kinetic model. Cs⁺ is preferably adsorbed by the natural clinoptilolite, followed by Sr²⁺ and Co²⁺. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm was used to determine the adsorption capacities from both single and mixed metal solutions. At pH range of 3–12 the adsorption of Cs⁺ remains almost constant, while at low pH (2–3) the adsorption is lesser. At initial pH range of 2–10 adsorption of Sr²⁺ remains approximately stable, whereas at initial pH > 10 adsorption increases significantly. The adsorption of Co²⁺ is low at low pH but increased remarkably with increasing pH and precipitated at pH > 8. Cs⁺ adsorption on the clinoptilolite was not affected by the presence of EDTA, while the presence of EDTA hinders the adsorption of Co²⁺ and Sr²⁺ on clinoptilolite.     

Adsorption behavior of cesium and strontium onto chitosan impregnated with ionic liquid

We briefly studied the adsorption behavior of chitosan impregnated with an ionic liquid (1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium chloride) in solutions with Cs⁺ and Sr²⁺ ions. The impregnation of chitosan was realized by ultrasonication method. The impregnated chitosan was analyzed by FTIR, SEM, and EDX in order to show that the chitosan was impregnated with the studied IL. The adsorptive properties of ionic liquid-impregnated chitosan for the removal of Cs⁺ and Sr²⁺ ions from aqueous solutions were studied in a batch adsorption system. The adsorption kinetic was found to follow a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The experimental data showed good fit to the Langmuir isotherm. The adsorption properties of the chitosan impregnated with the studied ionic liquid were determined in binary, tertiary, and quaternary systems. The adsorption capacity of the IL impregnated chitosan is not significant influenced in the binary systems. The adsorption capacity of the IL impregnated chitosan decreases with the increase of the number of the cation present in solutions. It was observed that the studied adsorbent has a higher affinity for Cs⁺ ions than for Sr²⁺ ions.     

Modeling of Sorption Characteristics of Backfill Materials

ABSTRACT

Sorption data analysis was carried out using the Freundlich, Langmuir, and Modified Freundlich isotherms for the uptake of sodium and potassium in an initial concentration range of 10–100 mg/L on backfill materials, viz., bentonite, vermiculite, and soil samples. The soil samples were collected from a shallow land disposal facility at Kalpakkam. The Freundlich isotherm equation is validated as a preferred general mathematical tool for representing the sorption of K⁺ by all the selected backfill materials. The Modified Freundlich isotherm equation is validated as a preferred mathematical tool for representing the sorption of Na⁺ by the soil samples. Since a negative sorption was observed for the uptake of Na⁺ by commercial clay minerals (vermiculite and bentonite clay in the laboratory experiments), sorption analysis could not be carried out using the above-mentioned isotherm equations. Hill plots of the sorption data suggest that in the region of low saturation (10–40 mg/L), sorption of K⁺ by vermiculite is impeded by interaction among sorption sites whereas sorption by soil and bentonite clay is enhanced by interaction among sorption sites. In the region of higher saturation (60–100 mg/L), sorption of K⁺ by all three backfill materials is enhanced by interaction among sorption sites. The Hill plot of the sorption data for Na⁺ by soil suggests that irrespective of Na⁺ concentration, sorption of Na⁺at one exchange site enhances sorption at other exchange sites.     

Multicomponent adsorption isotherm modeling using thermodynamically inconsistent and consistent models

In this work, the multicomponent adsorption modeling of the experimental adsorption data of ternary system consisting of nitrobenzene (NI), phenol (PH) and aniline (AN) onto granulated activated carbon (GAC) was performed. The Redlich–Peterson and Freundlich isotherm models provided better fitting of the single component experimental data than the Langmuir isotherm model. The adsorption preference of GAC was found to be: NI > PH > AN. The ternary adsorption equilibrium data were analyzed by using thermodynamically consistent and inconsistent isotherm models as well as an artificial neural network model. Modified Redlich–Peterson and LeVan–Vermeulen models, and real adsorbed solution theory model provided satisfactory fit of the ternary system. Levenberg–Marquardt back-propagation or scaled conjugate gradient back-propagation algorithm with two neurons, either logsig or tansig transfer function in the hidden layer, and purelin transfer function in output layer were found to be the best network and gave an excellent prediction of experimental data.     

Adsorption studies of methylene blue onto ZnCl2-activated carbon produced from buriti shells (Mauritia flexuosa L.)

The present study reports the preparation of an activated carbon produced from buriti shells (AC_b) using ZnCl₂ as activating agent and its ability to remove methylene blue dye (MB) from aqueous solutions. The obtained AC_b was characterized by N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherms, SEM and FT-IR. The results show that AC_b presents microporous features with BET surface area (S_BET) of 843 m² g⁻¹ and functional groups common in carbonaceous materials. Adsorption studies were carried out and experimental data were fitted to three isotherm models (Langmuir, Freundlich, and Redlich–Peterson) and four kinetic models (pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, Elovich, and intraparticle diffusion). The isotherm model which best fitted to experimental data was Redlich–Peterson. However, the g parameter of this model indicated that the adsorption of MB onto AC_b occurs according to the mechanism proposed by Langmuir, which showed maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 274.62 mg g⁻¹. Kinetic studies demonstrated that the Elovich model is suitable to describe the experimental data. Moreover, it was found that the intraparticle diffusion is the limiting step of adsorption process.     

Iminodiacetic acid‐containing polymer brushes grafted onto silica gel for preconcentration and determination of copper(II) in environmental samples

Silica gel has been modified by silylation with 3‐mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane followed by graft polymerization of dimethylacrylamide and (N,N‐bis‐carboxymethyl)amino‐3‐allylglycerol‐co‐dimethylacrylamide, synthesized via the reaction of allyl glycidyl ether with iminodiacetic acid. The sorbent, poly(AGE/IDA‐co‐DMAA)‐grafted silica gel, has been characterized by FTIR, elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), FT‐Raman, and scanning electron microscopy and studied for the preconcentration and determination of trace amounts of Cu(II) ion in environmental water samples. The optimum pH value for quantitative sorption of Cu(II) in batch mode was 5.5 and desorption was achieved, using 0.5 mol L^?1 nitric acid. The sorption capacity of functionalized sorbent is 32.3 mg g^?1. The chelating sorbent was reused for 15 sorption–desorption cycles without any significant change in sorption capacity. The profile of copper uptake by the sorbent reflected good accessibility of the chelating sites in the poly(AGE/IDA‐co‐DMAA)‐grafted silica gel. Scatchard analysis demonstrated homogeneous nature of binding sites. The equilibrium adsorption data of Cu(II) on modified sorbent were analyzed by Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Redlich–Peterson models. Based on equilibrium adsorption data, the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin constants were determined as 0.0665, 4.26, and 8.34, respectively, at pH 5.5 and 20°C. Adsorption isotherms were analyzed at different temperatures to obtain free energy, enthalpy, and entropy of adsorption. The method was applied for Cu(II) determination in sea water samples. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Modeling the PAAc‐AN‐TV surface using 134Cs and 152+154Eu sorption

A novel composite, composed of poly (acrylic acid (AAc), acrylonitrile, and titanium vanadate, was prepared by induced gamma irradiation route at 20 kGy to be used as a hybrid organic‐inorganic sorbent. 5–200 μm particle diameters of the composite were obtained. An average particle size of 75 μm of crystalline (17‐20) composite was used; it was thermally stable to 486°C. The distribution coefficients of Cs⁺ and Eu³⁺ were studied as a function of pH; 2350 mL·g^?1 and 645 mL·g^?1 were obtained in case of ^152+154Eu and ¹³⁴Cs at pH 6. 1.55 mmol·g^?1 and 1.85 mmol·g^?1 maximum loadings were accommodated for the same ions at the same pH. Different models were used to scan the surface of the exchanger, so that the topography of the surface was studied as a function of surface active site types, concentrations, and heterogeneity. Langmuir, Freundlich and D‐R models were used. Also, different kinetic models, as Lagergren pseudo first‐order, pseudo second‐order and Morris‐Weber intraparticle diffusion models were applied to study the possible mechanism of the sorption process; pseudo first‐order was exempted to investigate the mechanism. They proved that chemisorption and ion exchange mechanism with controlled diffusion are predominant, with their characteristic mean energies (8.731 kJ·mol^?1 and 9.310 kJ·mol^?1 for Cs⁺ and Eu³⁺, respectively). Double Shell Model was finally adopted to explain the suggested mechanism. Negative values of ΔG°, ?2.15 kJ·mol^?1 to ?7.92 kJ·mol^?1 in case of Cs⁺ and ?3.35 kJ·mol^?1 to ?9.67 kJ·mol^?1 in case of Eu³⁺adsorption at different temperatures, indicate the spontaneous nature of the reactions. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Modification and characterization of poly (ethylene terephthalate)‐grafted‐acrylic acid/acryl amide fiber for removal of lead from human plasma and environmental samples

A new fibrous adsorbent was prepared by grafting acrylic acid/acryl amide (AA/AAm) comonomers onto poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fibers. The resulting sorbent has been characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR), elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), FT‐Raman, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and studied for the preconcentration and determination of trace Pb (II) ion from human biological fluid and environmental water samples. The optimum pH value for sorption of the metal ion was 8. The sorption capacity of functionalized resin is 44.1 mg g^?1. The chelating sorbent can be reused for 20 cycles of sorption–desorption without any significant change in sorption capacity. A recovery of 100.2% was obtained for the metal ion with 0.5M nitric acid as eluting agent. Effect of grafting yield, shaking time, shape of sorbent, and pH of the medium on adsorption of the metal ion were investigated. Scatchard analysis revealed that the homogeneous binding sites were formed in the polymers. The equilibrium adsorption data of Pb (II) on modified fiber were analyzed by Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Redlich‐Peterson models. Based on equilibrium adsorption data, the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin constants were determined as 0.236, 10.544, and 9.497 at pH 8 and 20°C, respectively. The method was applied for lead ions determination from human plasma and sea water sample. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

A new approach to obtain mesoporous-activated carbon via hydrothermal carbonization of Brazilian Cerrado biomass combined with physical activation for bisphenol-A removal

Abstract

The worrying hydric crisis and the increasing water contamination by emerging pollutants around the world stimulate the development of activated carbons (AC) for the removal of endocrine disruptors, including bisphenol-A (BPA). For this reason, a new approach for the synthesis of AC from hydrochar produced through hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of Brazilian Cerrado biomass (Magonia pubescens–Sapindaceae) and physical activation using water vapor is highlighted. Compared to the traditional method of physical activation after pyrolysis, HTC was found to be better option to develop the specific surface area, porosity, and yield of the ACs, which presented mesoporous structure and carbon content higher than 80%. The BPA adsorption was evaluated by varying the contact time, BPA concentration, and pH. The Langmuir, Freundlich, and Redlich–Peterson isotherms were used to model the adsorption behavior. In the preliminary test to verify the adsorption efficiency, the AC obtained from hydrochar treated at 180?°C presented better results compared to commercial AC. The BPA adsorption data of the best treated hydrochar correlated well with the pseudo first-order model and the Langmuir isotherm (Q_max = 21.26?mg g^?1). The results of the studies indicated the combination of HTC and physical activation with steam to be an efficient way to prepare an ecologically sound adsorbent for removal of Bisphenol-A from water with lower temperature and without chemical reagents. The ACs obtained can also be potential materials for other applications, such as in the field of catalysis and environmental remediation.     

Removal of Cu(II), Fe(III), and Cr(III) from Aqueous Solution by Aniline Grafted Silica Gel

Abstract

The aniline moiety was covalently grafted onto silica gel surface. The modified silica gel with aniline groups (SiAn) was used for removal of Cu(II), Fe(III), and Cr(III) ions from aqueous solution and industrial effluents using a batch adsorption procedure. The maximum adsorption of the transition metal ions took place at pH 4.5. The adsorption kinetics for all the adsorbates fitted better the pseudo second‐order kinetic model, obtaining the following adsorption rate constants (k₂): 1.233 · 10^?2, 1.902 · 10^?2, and 8.320 · 10^?3 g · mg^?1 min^?1 for Cr(III), Cu(II), and Fe(III), respectively. The adsorption of these transition metal ions were fitted to Langmuir, Freundlich, Sips, and Redlich‐Peterson isotherm models; however, the best isotherm model fitting which presented a lower difference of the q (amount adsorbed per gram of adsorbent) calculated by the model from the experimentally measured, was achieved by using the Sips model for all adsorbates chosen. The SiAn adsorbent was also employed for the removal of the transition metal ions Cr(III) (95%), Cu(II) (95%), and Fe(III) (94%) from industrial effluents, using the batch adsorption procedure.     

Highly Efficient Adsorption of Anionic Dyes from Aqueous Solutions Using Sawdust Modified by Cationic Surfactant of Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide

In the present study, the adsorption behavior of Congo Red (CR) dye from aqueous systems onto sawdust modified by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CH₃(CH₂)₁₅N(CH₃)₃Br (CTAB) was attempted. Adsorption experiments were carried out using both batch and column modes under various operating conditions. The effects of some important parameters such as solution pH, adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration and contact time were investigated. Treatment of the equilibrium data obtained in batch experiments was carried out using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm equations. Based on the isotherm analysis, it was found that the adsorption of CR dye onto SD fits well to the Langmuir model and the adsorption pattern on CTAB modified sawdust (CTAB/SD) followed the Freundlich isotherm which is indicative of heterogeneity of the adsorption sites on the surfactant-modified sawdust. The maximum adsorption capacity of SD and CTAB/SD were found to be 5.2 and 9.1?mg?g^?1, respectively, according to the Langmuir model. However, much higher differences in sorption capacities were observed for CTAB/SD and SD in the column system (66.73?mg?g^?1). In order to find out the possibility of the exhausted column for frequent use, a regeneration study was also carried out. It was found that the dye uploaded column can be easily regenerated with a high performance using ethanol as the washing solution.     

The sorption of monovalent cations onto norway spruce: Model studies using wood flour and LiCl solution

The transport of chemicals in a porous material such as wood is very complex and involves several processes: the diffusion of chemicals in the cell pores (lumen and pit pores), through the cell walls at certain conditions, and sorption of wood tissue. In the present study, batch sorption experiments were performed to examine the sorption of Li⁺ ions from an aqueous LiCl solution onto Norway spruce wood flour samples. The experimental methodology employed is suitable for differentiating the amount of ions sorbed onto the wood tissue and dissolved in the solution in wood pores. The apparent equilibrium sorption data were analyzed using two widely applied isotherm models: Langmuir and Freundlich. The results suggest that the sorption was spontaneous, and for the experimental conditions studied, probably involved several interaction types between the different functional groups of the wood and the Li⁺/Cl^? ions.     

The adsorption behavior of cesium on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide/itaconic acid) copolymeric hydrogels

In this study, N-isopropylacrylamide/itaconic acid (NIPAAm/IA) hydrogels prepared by irradiating with γ radiation were used in experiments on cesium ion adsorption. The cesium ion adsorption capacity of the hydrogels was investigated as a function of Cs⁺ concentration, pH and temperature. The adsorption behavior of cesium was evaluated by using the radiotracer method. The adsorption isotherm models were applied to the experimental data, and it was seen that Freundlich isotherm explained the adsorption better than Langmuir isotherm. Two simplified kinetic models including pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order equation were selected to follow the adsorption processes. The Cs⁺ adsorption could be best described by the pseudo-first-order equation. The thermodynamic parameters including ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS° for adsorption processes of Cs⁺ on the hydrogel were also calculated, and the negative ΔH° and ΔG° confirmed that the adsorption process was exothermic and spontaneous.     

Evaluation of polyaromatic hydrocarbon removal from aqueous solutions using activated carbon and hyper‐crosslinked polymer (Macronet MN200)

BACKGROUND: Sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on activated carbon and the Macronet polymeric sorbent MN200 was investigated to determine the effectiveness of each sorbent for removal of pollutants from aqueous solution and their possible use as sorbent materials for groundwater. Experiments were carried out to determine the loading capacities of a family of PAHs (acenaphthene, anthracene, fluoranthene, fluorene, naphthalene and pyrene). RESULTS: Activated carbon was the more effective sorbent, with maximum loadings of PAHs between 90 and 230 g kg^?1, while MN200 resin showed values of 25–160 g kg^?1. Loading isotherms based on the Langmuir, Freundlich and Redlich–Peterson models were determined. The hydrophobic character of the pollutants appeared as an important parameter related to the sorption process. Equilibrium and kinetic parameters were used to determine the retardation factors for each PAH. CONCLUSION: The calculated values for the simulation of barrier thickness using both sorbents, taking into account EU requirements for PAHs in groundwater effluent, were perfectly reasonable as a first estimate. The better kinetic properties of MN200 are evident in lower hydraulic residence times and consequently in a lower barrier thickness. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis,characterization, and application of amberlite XAD‐2‐ salicylic acid‐ iminodiacetic acid for lead removal from human plasma and environmental samples

A new chelating resin is prepared by coup‐ling Amberlite XAD‐2 with salicylic acid (SAL) through an azo spacer. Then the polymer support was coupled with iminodiacetic acid (IDA). The resulting sorbent has been characterized by FT‐IR, elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and studied for the preconcentration and determination of trace Pb (II) ion from human biological fluid and environmental water samples. The optimum pH value for sorption of the metal ion was 5. The sorption capacity of functionalized resin is 67 mg g⁻¹. The chelating sorbent can be reused for 20 cycles of sorption–desorption without any significant change in sorption capacity. A recovery of 95% was obtained for the metal ion with 0.5M nitric acid as eluting agent. The profile of lead uptake on this sorbent reflects good accessibility of the chelating sites in the Amberlite XAD‐2‐SAL/IDA. Scatchard analysis revealed that the homogeneous binding sites were formed in the polymers. The equilibrium adsorption data of Pb (II) on modified resin were analyzed by Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Redlich‐Peterson models. Based on equili‐brium adsorption data the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin constants were determined 0.428, 20.99, and 7 × 10⁻¹² at pH 5 and 20°C. The method was successfully applied for determination of lead ions in human plasma and sea water sample. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Equilibrium and Kinetic Studies for Fluoride Adsorption from Water on Zirconium Impregnated Coconut Shell Carbon

Abstract

The batch adsorptive fluoride removal from water by Zirconium ion impregnated coconut shell carbon (ZICSC) was investigated. ZICSC was found to have fluoride adsorption capacity, 25 to 30 times that of plain activated carbon. The effect of various parameters such as pH, agitation time, and adsorbent dosage on fluoride removal were studied. The fluoride adsorption by ZICSC was above 90% for the entire pH range of 2–9 and the adsorption rate was extremely rapid, with 91% of the adsorption being achieved within 10 min of ZICSC contact for an initial fluoride concentration of 10 mg/L. The experimental data have been analyzed by Langmuir, Freundlich, Redlich‐Peterson, and Temkin sorption isotherm models and the adsorption data for fluoride onto ZICSC were better correlated to the Langmuir isotherm. The batch adsorption kinetics have been tested by first order, pseudo‐first order, and pseudo‐second order kinetic models with the subsequent determination of the rate constants of adsorption. The comparison of ZICSC with other adsorbents suggests that ZICSC provides a cost‐effective working solution to the defluoridation problem in the developing countries by its great potential application in fluoride removal from water.