Removal of chromium (III) and cadmium (II) from aqueous solutions

Chromium and cadmium are toxic heavy metals present in wastewaters from a variety of industries. A strong cationexchange resin, Amberlite IR 120, was used for the removal of chromium and cadmium. The resin was prepared in two different cationic forms, as Na⁺ and H⁺. The optimum conditions were concentration, pH, stirring time and resin amount. The concentration range was between 2–50 mg/L, pH range between 2–10, stirring time between 5–60 min, and the amount of resin was from 50–1000 mg. Exchange capacities, moisture content and optimum conditions of this resin were determined in a batch system. The stirring speed was 2000 rpm during all of the batch experiments. The initial and final chromium and cadmium amounts were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The optimum conditions were found to be a concentration of 20 mg/L, pH of 5.5, stirring time of 20 min and 100 mg of resin. The results obtained show that the Amberlite IR 120 strong cation-exchange resin performed well for the removal and recovery of chromium and cadmium.     

Anodic stripping voltammetric measurement of trace heavy metals at antimony film carbon paste electrode

The antimony film carbon paste electrode (SbF-CPE) was prepared in situ on the carbon paste substrate electrode as a “mercury-free” electrochemical sensor. Its aptitude for measuring some selected trace heavy metals has been demonstrated in combination with square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry in non-deaerated model solutions of 0.01 M hydrochloric acid with pH 2. Some important operational parameters, such as deposition potential, deposition time, and concentration of antimony ions were optimized, and the electroanalytical performance of the SbF-CPE was critically compared with both bismuth film carbon paste electrode (BiF-CPE) and mercury film carbon paste electrode (MF-CPE) using Cd(II) and Pb(II) as test metal ions. In comparison with BiF-CPE and MF-CPE, the SbF-CPE exhibited superior electroanalytical performance in more acidic medium (pH 2) associated with favorably low hydrogen evolution, improved stripping response for Cd(II), and moreover, stripping signals corresponding to Cd(II) and Pb(II) at the SbF-CPE were slightly narrower than those observed at bismuth and mercury counterparts. In addition, the comparison with antimony film electrode prepared at the glassy carbon substrate electrode displayed higher stripping current response recorded at the SbF-CPE. The newly developed sensor revealed highly linear behavior in the examined concentration range from 5 to 50 μg L⁻¹, with limits of detection (3σ) of 0.8 μg L⁻¹ for Cd(II), and 0.2 μg L⁻¹ for Pb(II) in connection with 120 s deposition step, offering good reproducibility of ±3.8% for Cd(II), and ±1.2% for Pb(II) (30 μg L⁻¹, n = 10). Preliminary experiments disclosed that SbF-CPE and MF-CPE exhibit comparable performance for measuring trace concentration levels of Zn(II) in acidic medium with pH 2, whereas its detection with BiF-CPE was practically impossible. Finally, the practical applicability of SbF-CPE was demonstrated via measuring Cd(II) and Pb(II) in a real water sample.     

Electroanalytical studies on cadmium(II) selective potentiometric sensors based on t-butyl thiacalix[4]arene and thiacalix[4]arene in poly(vinyl chloride)

Cd²⁺-selective sensors have been fabricated from poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) matrix membranes containing t-butyl thiacalix[4]arene (I) and thiacalix[4]arene (II) as electroactive materials. The addition of sodium tetraphenylborate and the plasticizer 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether has been found to improve the performance of the sensors substantially. The membranes of various compositions of the two thiacalixarenes have been investigated and it was found that the best performance was obtained for the membrane of composition II:PVC:NaTPB:NPOE in the ratio 5:120:3:150. The sensor shows a linear potential response for Cd²⁺ over a wide activity range 3.2 × 10⁻⁶ to 1.0 × 10⁻¹ M with Nernstian compliance (29.5 mV decade⁻¹ of activity) in pH range 4.5-6.5 and a fast response time of ∼8 s. The potentiometric selectivity coefficient values determined by matched potential method indicate excellent selectivity for Cd²⁺ ions over mono-, di- and trivalent interfering cations. The sensor exhibits adequate shelf life (∼3 months) with good reproducibility (S.D. ±0.2 mV) and can also be used in partially non-aqueous media having up to 20% (v/v) methanol, ethanol or acetone content with no significant change in the value of slope or working activity range. The sensor has been used in the potentiometric titration of Cd²⁺ with EDTA. The sensor could be successfully used for the quantification of cadmium in river water samples.     

废弃物中回收镉的国内外现状探析

在查阅国内外文献资料的基础上,对从废弃物中回收镉的国内外现状进行了分析和探讨,指出对镉进行回收利用有很重要的现实意义,既能有效降低生产成本,充分利用资源,又能保护环境。     

Enhancement of the photoelectrochemical response of poly(terthiophenes) by CdS(ZnS) core-shell nanoparticles

We have investigated the photoelectrochemical properties of hybrid films of polythiophenes poly(4,4″dimethoxy-3′-methyl-2,2′:5′,2″ terthiophene) (PDM), poly(4,4″dipentoxy-3′-methyl-2,2′:5′,2″ terthiophene) (PDP), and cadmium sulfide/zinc sulfide (CdS(ZnS)) core-shell nanoparticles. Although CdS(ZnS) nanoparticles present enhanced exciton trapping, light harvesting by hybrid films was enhanced when compared to those of pure PDM and PDP films. This enhancement is explained in terms of electron and hole transfer mechanisms at different excitation wavelengths. The more efficient light harvesting of PDM/CdS(ZnS) when compared to that of PDP/CdS(ZnS) was attributed to its broader absorption spectrum and more efficient electron hopping.     

Manipulation of the Morphology of CdSe Nanostructures: The Effect of Si

The morphological manipulation, structural characterization, and photoluminescence properties of different CdSe nanocrystals are reported. Several different CdSe structures, including nanowires, nanorods, nanoparticles, and tetrapod crystals, have been grown on silicon substrates by means of simple, Si‐assisted chemical vapor deposition. By manipulating the growth driving force (i.e., the degree of supersaturation), the morphology of the CdSe nanocrystals can be varied sequentially from nanowires/nanorods to nanoparticles to tetrapod structures. The optical properties of the CdSe nanocrystals are investigated using photoluminescence spectroscopy. Some thermodynamic models are proposed to explain the results.     

用N2O-C2H2火焰原子吸收光谱法测定电解液中锂

简述运用N2O-C2H2火焰原子吸收光谱法进行镉镍电池电解液中锂含量的测定，并介绍了锂最佳测定条件及呈良好线性范围的浓度。同时对样品的干扰因素、消化处理条件，在综合分析的基础上提出了有效的测定方案。该测定方法灵敏度好，准确度与精密度均能满足镉镍电池研制工作的要求。测定样品锂含量相对标准偏差均小于1．0％（测定次数n=10），标准加入回收率均在97．0％，100．0％（n=6）范围内，达到了实验室分析质量与质量控制的要求，适用于电解液中锂含量的控制分析和样品系统分析。     

Multi-component adsorption of Ag(I), Cd(II) and Cu(II) by natural carbonaceous materials

Adsorption of silver, cadmium and copper from aqueous solutions by natural carbonaceous materials was investigated. The studied series of natural materials (spruce wood, pine bark, cork, peat, fusinite, lignite, oxidised lignite, bituminous coal and anthracite) was extended to include industrial carbon-rich materials: coke, activated carbon F-400 and Multisorb 100. Adsorption was tested on a single-component system and on the binary and ternary mixtures. All the materials used differ in their ability to adsorb selected metals. The adsorption of metals is significantly affected by the presence of other ions in solution. Total metal uptake was considerably higher in a mixture than single-ion adsorption. Chemical reactions, such as precipitation and reduction of metallic silver, play a role in metal uptake by bituminous coal, coke and activated carbon.     

Doping behavior of iodine in Hg0.8Cd0.2Te+

Iodine doped single crystal samples of Hg_0.8Cd_0.2Te were annealed at temperatures varying from 450 to 600°C in Hg vapor and quenched to room temperature. Hall effect measurements at 77 K on the crystals cooled to room temperature indicate the samples to be n-type after anneals at high Hg pressures whereas they turn p-type after anneals at low Hg pressures; the electron concentration increases with increase in Hg pressure. The results are explained on the basis that the crystals are saturated with (Hg,Cd)I₂, with the iodine being present as donors occupying tellurium lattice sites (I_Te) and a fraction being present as (I_TeV_Hg)’ species formed from the iodine on tellurium lattice sites (I_Te) pairing with the doubly ionized native acceptor defects (V^Hg/11). The solubility of the I_Te species increases with increase in Hg pressure, whereas that of the (I_TeV_Hg)’ species increases with decrease in Hg This work was supported by NASA under contract NAS8-33245 pressure. Equilibrium constants for the incorporation of the iodine species as well as the pairing reaction have been established