Simultaneous sorption of phosphate and phenanthrene to inorgano-organo-bentonite from water

The nonbiodegradable organic pollutants and excess phosphate can not be effectively removed from municipal wastewater by the widely used bioprocess, thus they are harmful to aquatic environment. In this investigation, the feasibility of utilizing inorgano-organo-bentonite (IOB), which was bentonite mineral modified with both Fe polycations and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTMAB), was explored to simultaneously remove phosphate and phenanthrene from water. The results showed that the IOB had strong affinity for both phosphate and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as phenanthrene in water. It was found that more than 95% phosphate and 99% phenanthrene were removed from water within 30 min. The sorption of phosphate on IOB proved to be an anion/OH(-) exchange reaction. Compared with organobentonite and bentonite mineral, the settlement separation of IOB from aquatic phase was greatly improved. The residual turbidity reached a minimum value of 10 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU) in 60 min. It was indicated that IOB is a favorable sorbent and can simultaneously remove nonbiodegradable organic pollutants such as phenanthrene and phosphate after the bioprocess in wastewater treatment.     

Effect of physicochemical properties of coal gasification fine ash on its wettability

Coal gasification, recognized as one of the most effective coal utilization technologies, will produce a certain amount of fine ash during the high-temperature reaction process. The wettability of gasification fine ash is a critical parameter to characterize the degree of high-temperature reaction and determine the separation efficiency of purification process. In the present work, the effect of physicochemical properties on the wetting behavior of different gasification fine ash is studied. The difference in wettability between particle size and types can be explained by the unique properties of particles (i.e. pore structure, mineral composition, and chemical structure). The results show that with the decrease in particle size, the surface morphology transforms from an irregular shape with a rough surface to a spherical shape with a smooth surface. The pore structure, characterized by fractal surface dimension D_s, presents positive correlations with the contact angle for a single type of fine ash. The mineral composition can just qualitatively assess the hydrophilicity of particles. Only the ratio of hydrophilic chemical structure can be used as a generic parameter to describe the wetting performance. Meanwhile, the wettability of hydrophilic particles can be enhanced by increasing moisture content, but there is no significant effect of moisture content on the wettability of hydrophobic particles.     

呋喃树脂对煤沥青流变性能的影响

采用旋转黏度计测定了含有不同比例呋喃树脂的煤沥青的表观黏度。考察了呋喃树脂对煤沥青表观黏度、残炭率及软化点的影响。同时，采用扫描电镜(SEM)研究了添加呋喃树脂后煤沥青的表面形貌。结果表明，添加质量分数为3．6％～9．0％的呋喃树脂使煤沥青在达到相同黏度值时温度下降5℃～15℃，而残炭率不下降；由于呋喃树脂使煤沥青分子隔开从而改善了煤沥青的流动性能；另外加入适量的呋喃树脂可降低煤沥青的黏流活化能，有利于煤沥青在较宽温度范围内进行工艺操作。     

Studies on sorption properties of zeolite derived from Indian fly ash

Indian fly ash has been completely converted to crystalline porous 13X zeolite by NaOH fusion at 600 degrees C followed by hydrothermal treatment at 105 degrees C for 20 h. Obtained materials were characterized by XRD, SEM and surface area measurement. Prepared material was used for the sorption study of different metal ions (Cu(2+), Co(2+) and Ni(2+)) at different pH, temperature. Thermodynamic data (DeltaS, DeltaH and DeltaG) corresponding to different metal ion uptake were evaluated from Langmuir equation. In all the experiment sorption capacity of prepared zeolite was found to be quite high than that of fly ash at acidic pH. However, the uptake selectivity order for both the materials is Cu(2+)>Co(2+)>Ni(2+).     

Batch sorption dynamics and equilibrium for the removal of cadmium ions from aqueous phase using wheat bran

Studies on a batch sorption process using wheat bran as a low cost sorbent was investigated to remove cadmium ions from aqueous solution. The influence of operational conditions such as contact time, cadmium initial concentration, sorbent mass, temperature, solution initial pH, agitation speed and ionic strength on the sorption kinetics of cadmium was studied. Pseudo-second-order model was evaluated using the six linear forms as well as the non-linear curve fitting analysis method. Modeling of kinetic results shows that sorption process is best described by the pseudo-second-order model using the non-linear method. The sorption of cadmium was found to be dependent on initial concentration, sorbent mass, solution pH, agitation speed, temperature, ionic strength and contact time. The value of activation energy (12.38 kJ mol(-1)) indicates that sorption has a low potential barrier corresponding to a physical process. Sorption equilibrium isotherms at different temperatures was determined and correlated with common isotherm equations such as Langmuir and Freundlich models. It was found that the Langmuir model appears to well fit the isotherm data but a worse correlation was obtained by the Freundlich model. The five Langmuir linear equations as well as the non-linear curve fitting analysis method were discussed. Results show that the non-linear method may be a better way to obtain the Langmuir parameters. Thermodynamic parameters such as DeltaH degrees, DeltaS degrees and DeltaG degrees were calculated. These parameters indicate that the sorption of cadmium by wheat bran is a spontaneous process and physical in nature involving weak forces of attraction and is also endothermic.     

Sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on electrospun nanofibrous membranes: sorption kinetics and mechanism

Five types of nanofibrous membranes were prepared by electrospinning poly(?-caprolactone) (PCL), poly(d,l-lactide) (PDLLA), poly(lactide-co-caprolactone) (P(LA/CL)), poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PDLGA) and methoxy polyethylene glycol-poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (MPEG-PLGA), respectively. These electrospun nanofibrous membranes (ENFMs) were used to adsorb anthracene (ANT), benz[a]anthracene (BaA) and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) from aqueous solution, and the sorption kinetics and isotherms of these PAHs on the five ENFMs were investigated. The pseudo-second-order model (PSOM) can well describe the sorption kinetics of the three PAHs on five ENFMs, and the partition-adsorption model (PAM) can interpret the sorption processes of PAHs on the ENFMs. PCL ENFMs, which had the largest surface areas (8.57 m² g⁻¹), exhibited excellent sorption capacity for ANT at over 4112.3 ± 35.5 μg g⁻¹. Moreover, the hydrophobicity and pore volume of ENFMs significantly affected the sorption kinetics and sorption capacity of the PAHs. The main sorption mechanisms of three PAHs on the PDLLA ENFMs included hydrophobic interactions and pore-filling, while those of PCL, P(LA/CL) and PDLGA ENFMs were dominated by the hydrophobic interactions. The sorption mechanisms of MPEG-PLGA ENFMs primarily included pore-filling, hydrogen bonding interactions and hydrophobic interactions. Additionally, π-π bonding interaction was also deduced to be involved in all of ENFMs sorption systems.     

Kinetic and equilibrium study for the sorption of cadmium(II) ions from aqueous phase by eucalyptus bark

The efficiency of eucalyptus bark as a low cost sorbent for removing cadmium ions from aqueous solution has been investigated in batch mode. The equilibrium data could be well described by the Langmuir isotherm but a worse fit was obtained by the Freundlich model. The five linearized forms of the Langmuir equation as well as the non-linear curve fitting analysis method were discussed. Results show that the non-linear method may be a better way to obtain the Langmuir parameters. Maximum cadmium uptake obtained at a temperature of 20 degrees C was 14.53mgg(-1). The influence of temperature on the sorption isotherms of cadmium has been also studied. The monolayer sorption capacity increased from 14.53 to 16.47 when the temperature was raised from 20 to 50 degrees C. The DeltaG degrees values were negative, which indicates that the sorption was spontaneous in nature. The effect of experimental parameters such as contact time, cadmium initial concentration, sorbent dose, temperature, solution initial pH, agitation speed, and ionic strength on the sorption kinetics of cadmium was investigated. Pseudo-second-order model was evaluated using the six linear forms as well as the non-linear curve fitting analysis method. Modeling of kinetic results shows that sorption process is best described by the pseudo-second-order model using the non-linear method. The pseudo-second-order model parameters were function of the initial concentration, the sorbent dose, the solution pH, the agitation speed, the temperature, and the ionic strength.     

Influence of phosphorus on Cu sorption kinetics: stirred flow chamber experiments

A stirred flow reactor was used to study the influence of phosphorus on the adsorption and desorption kinetics of copper in two acid soils on granite and amphibolite. The presence of P was found to significantly increase Cu adsorption in both soils, albeit at different types of sites (mainly in slow adsorption sites in the soil on granite, and both in fast and slow adsorption sites in that on amphibolite). The increased Cu sorption at fast sites in the amphibolite soil was due to its high content in Fe oxyhydroxides, which bound P and released OH(-) as a result, thereby raising the pH and leading to a higher sorption capacity during fast reactions. On the other hand, the increased Cu sorption at slow adsorption sites was due to Cu(2+) acting as a bridging element between P and organic matter.     

Co-combustion of coal and sewage sludge: Chemical and ecotoxicological properties of ashes

The co-combustion of sewage sludge (SS) and coal is widely used for the treatment and thermal valorization of SS produced in wastewater treatment plants. The chemical and ecotoxicological properties of the ashes produced in this thermal treatment have not been fully studied. Two combustion tests were performed in a fluidized bed combustor. Colombian coal was used as fuel in test A. A blend (1 + 1) of this coal and a stabilized SS (Biogran^®) was used in a second test B. Samples of the bottom and fly ashes trapped in two sequential cyclones were collected. The characterization of the ashes was focused on two main aspects: (1) the bulk content of a set of metals and (2) the characterization of eluates produced according to the European Standard leaching test EN 12457-2. The eluates were submitted to an ecotoxicological characterization for two bio-indicators. In what concerns the bulk content of ashes, both combustion tests have produced ashes with different compositions. The ashes formed during the co-combustion test have shown higher concentrations of metals, namely Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and Fe for all ashes. The leaching test has shown low mobility of these elements from the by-products produced during the combustion and co-combustion tests. Cr and Cr(VI) were mainly detected in the eluates of the 1st cyclone ashes produced in both combustion tests and in the 2nd cyclone ashes produced in the co-combustion test.Considering the ecotoxicity assays, the eluates of bottom and fly ashes for both combustion and co-combustion tests have shown low ecotoxic levels. The micro-crustacean Daphnia magna was generally more sensitive than the bacterium Vibrio fischeri. CEMWE criterion has allowed to classify the bottom ashes for both combustion and co-combustion tests as non-toxic residues and the fly ashes collected in both cyclones as toxic.     

Simultaneous sorption of crystal violet and 2-naphthol to bentonite with different CECs

This work was to examine the feasibility and efficiency to use bentonite for simultaneous removal of cationic dyes and hydrophobic organic carbons (HOCs) from water. The sorption capacities of crystal violet (CV) on two bentonites and one activated carbon were compared. Simultaneous sorption of CV and 2-naphthol on the two bentonites were tested, and the removal efficiencies of 2-naphthol by the simultaneous sorption method and by CV modified bentonite was also compared. The experimental results in this study showed that the bentonite is more effective in sorption of CV than the activated carbon. With the sorption of CV, bentonite surfaces were altered from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity, and thus 2-naphthol could be simultaneously removed. The aromatic effect between CV and 2-naphthol was supposed to be the primary driving force for the sorption of 2-naphthol. The simultaneous sorption method was shown to be more effective in the sorption of 2-naphthol than the CV modified bentonite. Results of this work could provide novel information for the treatment of wastewater containing both cationic dyes and HOCs.     

Separation of IPA/water mixtures by pervaporation: sorption and pervaporation results

Homogeneous membranes were prepared by blending polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with polyacrylic acid (PAA) and furthermore the blend membrane is cross-linked covalently through an ester linkage formation between a hydroxyl group of PVA and carboxyl group of PAA. These membranes were evaluated for separation of azeotropic isopropyl alcohol (IPA)/water mixtures by pervaporation, that is, a vacuum applying membrane process. The overall and preferential sorption of IPA/water mixtures in cross-linked membranes were determined to investigate the influence of PVA/PAA ratio and of liquid mixture composition. Pervaporation characteristics were also determined as a function of PVA/PAA ratio and of the feed mixture composition. With increasing PAA content in the membranes, solubilities and fluxes decreased and selectivities increased. Because of polarity, water permeated preferentially through the membranes. Sorption results showed the same tendency as pervaporation results.     

Influence of coal properties on dust suppression effect of biological dust suppressant

In order to study the effect and influencing factors of biological dust suppressant on secondary dust of coal dust, the biological dust suppressant was prepared with bacillus pasteurii and 0.6 mol/L urea-CaCl₂ solution. The experimental result shows that the yield of mineralized products of CC is the highest, reaching 81.11%, in bonding solutions with different calcium source and different concentration. For 5.0 g coal dust, 8 mL is the suitable spraying amount of bacteria solution and bonding solution. Biological dust suppressant has the best secondary dust suppression effect on coal dust with particle size above 200 μm. Moreover, it has the strongest effect on inhibiting secondary dust emission of lignite, and the weight loss rate of coal dust about 200 μm is only 0.84%. At the same time, the proportion of calcite crystals with the strongest thermal stability in mineralized products produced by MICP is higher. When the coalification degree of coal is lower, the effect of biological dust suppressant on secondary dust emission is better.     

Effect of amyl acetate sorption on mechanical and thermal properties of polypropylene packaging

Sorption kinetics of amyl acetate in polypropylene is studied at 23, 40 and 55°C. Diffusion (D) and partition (Kp) coefficients were determined by fitting the sorption curves with a theoretical curve calculated from Fick's diffusion equation. The role of temperature and concentration of amyl acetate was investigated. The results show that D is not affected and Kp decreases with increasing concentration of amyl acetate in the solution. The sorption rate or total amount absorbed increased considerably with temperature. Concentration profiles were calculated by using a numerical algorithm based on a finite element method. The effect of amyl acetate concentration on the mechanical and thermal properties of the polymer was investigated. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of quaternary ammonium cation loading and pH on heavy metal sorption to Ca bentonite and two organobentonites

Sorption of four heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Zn and Hg) to calcium bentonite (Ca bentonite), hexadecyltrimethylammonium bentonite (HDTMA bentonite) and benzyltriethylammonium bentonite (BTEA bentonite) was measured as a function of the quaternary ammonium cation (QAC) loading at 25, 50 and 100% of the clay's cation-exchange capacity (CEC). The effects of pH on the surface charge of the clays and heavy metal sorption were also measured. Sorption of Cd, Pb, and Zn was non-linear and sorption of all three metals by HDTMA and BTEA bentonites decreased as the QAC loading increased from 25 to 100%. In most cases, sorption of these metals to 25% BTEA and 25% HDTMA bentonite was similar to or greater than sorption to Ca bentonite. Hg sorption was linear for both HDTMA and BTEA bentonite. No significant effect on Hg sorption was observed with increasing QAC loading on BTEA bentonite. However, an increase of Hg sorption was detected with increasing QAC loading on HDTMA bentonite. This behavior suggests that a process different than cation exchange was the predominant Hg sorption mechanism. Cd, Pb, and Zn sorption decreased with pH. However, this effect was stronger for Cd and Pb than Zn. Hg sorption varied inversely with pH. QAC loading affected the surface charge of the clays. Twenty-five and 50% loading of BTEA cations increased the negative charge on the clay's surface relative to the untreated clay, without affecting the zero point of charge (ZPC) of the clay. Increased QAC loading on HDTMA bentonite causes the surface charge to become more positive and the ZPC increased. One hundred percent of HDTMA bentonite maintained a positive surface charge over the range of pH values tested. The organoclays studied have considerable capacity for heavy metal sorption. Given that prior studies have demonstrated the strong sorption capacity of organoclays for nonionic organic pollutants, it is likely that organoclays can be useful sorbents for the treatment of effluent streams containing both organic contaminants and heavy metals.     

Degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in contaminated soils by Fenton's reagent: a multivariate evaluation of the importance of soil characteristics and PAH properties

In this study, we investigated how the chemical degradability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aged soil samples from various contaminated sites is influenced by soil characteristics and by PAH physico-chemical properties. The results were evaluated using the multivariate statistical tool, partial least squares projections to latent structures (PLS). The PAH-contaminated soil samples were characterised (by pH, conductivity, organic matter content, oxide content, particle size, specific surface area, and the time elapsed since the contamination events, i.e. age), and subjected to relatively mild, slurry-phase Fenton's reaction conditions. In general, low molecular weight PAHs were degraded to a greater extent than large, highly hydrophobic variants. Anthracene, benzo(a)pyrene, and pyrene were more susceptible to degradation than other, structurally similar, PAHs; an effect attributed to the known susceptibility of these compounds to reactions with hydroxyl radicals. The presence of organic matter and the specific surface area of the soil were clearly negatively correlated with the degradation of bi- and tri-cyclic PAHs, whereas the amount of degraded organic matter correlated positively with the degradation of PAHs with five or six fused rings. This was explained by enhanced availability of the larger PAHs, which were released from the organic matter as it degraded. Our study shows that sorption of PAHs is influenced by a combination of soil characteristics and physico-chemical properties of individual PAHs. Multivariate statistical tools have great potential for assessing the relative importance of these parameters.     

Enhanced sorption of radiocobalt from water by Bi(III) modified montmorillonite: a novel adsorbent

In this study, Ca-montmorillonite (Ca-Mt) modified with Bi³⁺ was used as a novel adsorbent for the sorption of Co(II) from aqueous solutions. The sorption of Co(II) on Bi-montmorillonite (Bi-Mt) was investigated as a function of contact time, pH, ionic strength, adsorbent content, Co(II) concentrations, fulvic acid (FA) and temperature. Compared to Ca-Mt, Bi-Mt showed a higher affinity to bind Co(II) ions. The sorption percentage of Co(II) on Bi-Mt increased with increasing pH at pH 3.0-8.5, and then maintained the high level at pH 8.5-12. The sorption of Co(II) on Bi-Mt was dependent on ionic strength at low pH, and independent of ionic strength at high pH. The presence of FA enhanced Co(II) sorption at low pH, but suppressed Co(II) sorption at high pH. The thermodynamic data derived from temperature dependent sorption isotherms suggested that the sorption of Co(II) on Bi-Mt was spontaneous and endothermic process. Outer-sphere surface complexation and/or ion exchange were the main mechanisms of Co(II) sorption on Bi-Mt at low pH, whereas inner-sphere surface complexation was the main sorption mechanism at high pH. From the experimental results, it is possible to conclude that Bi-Mt is suitable for application of Co(II) removal from aqueous solutions.     

Enhanced sorption of naphthalene and nitroaromatic compounds to bentonite by potassium and cetyltrimethylammonium cations

Sorption of naphthalene, p-nitrotoluene, nitrobenzene and m-dinitrobenzene from water to original bentonite, original bentonite in KCl solutions, and an organobentonite (i.e., 100CTMAB) was compared. The affinities of sorbates with original bentonite were extremely weak and similar (sorption coefficient (K(d))=0.41-0.94 mL/g) regardless of their properties and structures. Sorption was dramatically enhanced by 100CTMAB due to strong retention of CTMA(+)-derived organic phase and the exposed-siloxane surfaces. The resultant K(d) increased by 5360, 780, 40 and 200 times, respectively, for naphthalene, p-nitrotoluene, nitrobenzene and m-dinitrobenzene, reversed with their aqueous solubility. The presence of K(+) promoted sorption of nitroaromatic compounds (50-400 times). The enhanced-mechanism for nitrobenzene at low concentrations and p-nitrotoluene was derived mainly from weak van der Waals interaction between aromatic rings and siloxane surfaces, while for nitrobenzene at high concentrations and m-dinitrobenzene the mechanisms were attributed to primary complexation of -NO(2) group with K(+) and then strong interactions by electron donor-acceptor. Sorption of m-dinitrobenzene enhanced linearly with K(+) concentrations of 0.005-0.20 mol/L, and overshadowed the role of 100CTMAB when K(+)>0.5 mol/L. These will eventually facilitate the application of modified-bentonite to abate pollutants in environments.     

Effect of the mechanoactivation on the structure, sorption and photocatalytic properties of titanium dioxide

The changes in crystallites size, phase composition, morphology, sorption and photocatalytic properties of TiO₂ (Degussa P-25) as a result of mechanoactivation in planetary ball mill Pulverisette 5 are reported. These alterations are investigated as a function of the times of milling and storage before the photochemical test, the nature of triboreactor material (agate or steel) and the activation mode (in air or as methanol suspension). Malachite green and methylene blue solutions are used as model pollutants in the photocatalytic tests. The energy stored in the powder after milling is calculated. Decrease of the size of crystallites and morphological grains, small increase of the anatase relative content (at activation in air), a significant increase of the TiO₂ sorption ability (especially after mechanoactivation in steel vessels) without substantial changes in the photocatalytic activity and an increase of the photocatalytic effectiveness after mechanoactivation in agate vessel at certain conditions are observed.     

Sorption and optical properties of sol-gel thin films measured by X-Ray Reflectometry and Ellipsometric Porosimetry

Oxide thin films synthesized using the sol-gel technique have the advantages of low cost, high thickness control, tunable refractive index and silicon technology compatibility, properties that make them potential materials for optoelectronic applications. For very thin films with low porosity, the determination of sorption and optical properties is quite complex because of the small sample size. Thus, there is a need to use especially designed techniques to obtain reliable results. In this work, a comprehensive study on the porosity evolution of SiO₂ and TiO₂ thin films using X-Ray Reflectometry and Environmental Ellipsometric Porosimetry is presented. For sol-gel SiO₂ thin films, it was found that the effective refractive index increases with thermal treatment as the porosity decreases. However, the refractive index of the walls was found constant. For sol-gel TiO₂ films, crystallized in anatase phase, both the effective refractive index and the wall refractive index increase with thermal treatment. SiO₂ and TiO₂ thermal oxides were also characterized for comparison.