Fixed bed and reduced lumped diffusion model parameter estimation of copper biosorption using Aspergillus niger biomass

In this study, fixed bed model and reduced lumped diffusion model were used to explain biosorption behaviour of Cu (II) in a continuous column of Aspergillus niger biomass. The breakthrough time was evaluated for both models as a function of influent flow rate and bed height for a feed solution at 10 mg/L metal ion concentration and compared with experimental results. MATLAB was used to solve the partial differential equations and breakthrough curve was plotted. The breakthrough time obtained experimentally was comparable with data evaluated by these models. It was observed that fixed bed model and reduced lumped diffusion model can predict column dynamics more accurately at high flow rate, that is, at 9.8 mL/min for all (2.1, 3.1, and 4.1 cm) bed heights. © 2011 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering