Highly efficient elimination of thorium(IV) from aqueous solution using poly(cyclotriphosphazene-co-melamine) microspheres

Highly crosslinked organic–inorganic hybrid polymer poly(cyclotriphosphazene-co-melamine) microspheres (PZM) were synthesized by a simple method. The microspheres was characterized by FTIR, SEM and EDX. It was applied to eliminate thorium(IV) from aqueous solution under various conditions, i.e., pH, initial concentration, dosage and contact time. The experimental data were well-imitated via the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and its adsorption processes comply with the Langmuir isotherm model. Adsorption thermodynamic studies demonstrated that the adsorption process, in essence, was spontaneous and endothermic. Furthermore, the maximum experimental adsorption capacity was 98.6 mg g^?1 for initial thorium(IV) concentration 50 mg L^?1. When pH?=?0.0, the thorium(IV) removal efficiency reached at 76.9%, which indicates that the adsorbent can also was used in a peracid environment. Adsorption behavior of thorium(IV) onto the microspheres were weakly affected via temperature, implying that adsorption would be done at room temperature.

     

Adsorptive removal of thorium from aqueous solution using diglycolamide functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were functionalized with diglycolamide (DGA) through chemical covalent route. The adsorption behavior of the DGA-functionalized-MWCNTs (DGA-MWCNTs) towards thorium from aqueous solution was studied under varying operating conditions of pH, concentration of thorium, DGA-MWCNTs dosages, contact time, and temperature. The effective range of pH for the removal of Th(IV) is 3.0–4.0. Kinetic data followed a pseudo-second-order model. The equilibrium data were correlated with the Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich and Temkin models. The equilibrium data are best fitted with Langmuir model. The equilibrium Th(IV) sorption capacity was estimated to be 10.58 mg g^?1 at 298 K. The standard enthalpy, entropy, and free energy of adsorption of the thorium with DGA-MWCNTs were calculated to be 8.952 kJ mol^?1, 0.093 kJ mol^?1 K^?1 and -18.521 kJ mol^?1 respectively at 298 K. The determined value of sticking probability (0.072) and observed kinetic and isotherm models reveal the chemical adsorption of thorium on DGA-MWCNTs.     

Adsorption of La(III) onto GMZ bentonite: effect of contact time,bentonite content,pH value and ionic strength

Bentonite has been studied extensively because of its strong adsorption capacity. A local Na-bentonite named GMZ bentonite, collected from Gaomiaozi County (Inner Mongolia, China), was selected as the first choice of buffer/backfill material for the high-level radioactive waste repository in China. In this research, the adsorption of La (ΙΙΙ) onto GMZ bentonite was performed as a function of contact time, pH, solid content and metal ion concentrations by using the batch experiments. The results indicate that the adsorption of La (III) on GMZ bentonite achieves equilibration quickly and the kinetic adsorption follows the pseudo-second-order model; the adsorption of La (III) on the adsorbent is strongly dependent on pH and solid content, the adsorption process follows Langmuir isotherm. The equilibrium batch experiment data demonstrate that GMZ bentonite is effective adsorbent for the removal of La (III) from aqueous solution with the maximum adsorption capacity of 26.8 mg g⁻¹ under the given experimental conditions.     

Adsorption kinetic,thermodynamic and desorption studies of phosphate onto hydrous niobium oxide prepared by reverse microemulsion method

A type of Nb₂O₅⋅3H₂O was synthesized and its phosphate removal potential was investigated in this study. The kinetic study, adsorption isotherm, pH effect, thermodynamic study and desorption were examined in batch experiments. The kinetic process was described by a pseudo-second-order rate model very well. The phosphate adsorption tended to increase with a decrease of pH. The adsorption data fitted well to the Langmuir model with which the maximum P adsorption capacity was estimated to be 18.36 mg-P g⁻¹. The peak appearing at 1050 cm⁻¹ in IR spectra after adsorption was attributed to the bending vibration of adsorbed phosphate. The positive values of both ΔH° and ΔS° suggest an endothermic reaction and increase in randomness at the solid-liquid interface during the adsorption. ΔG° values obtained were negative indicating a spontaneous adsorption process. A phosphate desorbability of approximately 68% was observed with water at pH 12, which indicated a relatively strong bonding between the adsorbed phosphate and the sorptive sites on the surface of the adsorbent. The immobilization of phosphate probably occurs by the mechanisms of ion exchange and physicochemical attraction. Due to its high adsorption capacity, this type of hydrous niobium oxide has the potential for application to control phosphorus pollution.     

Adsorptive Removal of Thorium(IV) from Aqueous Solutions Using Synthesized Polyamidoxime Chelating Resin: Equilibrium,Kinetic, and Thermodynamic Studies

In this study, an amidoximated chelating ion exchange resin was prepared by poly-acrylonitrile (PAN) grafted potato starch. The adsorbent characterizations such as specific surface area, pore volume, average pore radius, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum of the resin were measured. The effects of pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, initial concentration of thorium ion, and temperature on adsorption of thorium ion from aqueous solutions were investigated. Four isotherm models including Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich, and Temkin were applied to analyze the equilibrium isotherm data. The results showed that Langmuir and Temkin models had a good agreement with experimental data. The maximum capacity of the adsorbent using the Langmuir isotherm model was 227.27 mg · g^?1. The kinetic models like pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, Elovich, and intraparticle were examined to describe the adsorption process. The kinetics of the adsorption process was found to follow the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The thermodynamic parameters (ΔG°, ΔH°, ΔS°) were also calculated using equilibrium constant values at various temperatures (25, 35, 45, 55°C) and the positive value for ΔH° showed an endothermic adsorption process. The study suggests that the prepared adsorbent has promising potential for the removal of thorium from wastewaters.      

Adsorption of arsenic (V) from a water solution onto a surfactant-modified zeolite

In this study a surfactant-modified zeolite (SMZ) was prepared by adsorbing the cationic surfactant hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA) bromide on a clinoptilolite. The adsorption of the surfactant modified the surface properties of the clinoptilolite and enhanced the anionic capacity of the SMZ. The adsorption equilibrium data of As(V) from the water solution on the SMZ were obtained in a batch adsorber, and the Langmuir isotherm matched the data reasonably well. The As(V) adsorption capacity of the SMZ was 12.5 times greater than that of the clinoptilolite. The adsorption of As(V) on SMZ was mainly due to the interactions between the anionic sites of the SMZ and the As(V) anions in water solution. The adsorption capacity of the SMZ was dependent on the solution pH. The adsorption capacity was increased and decreased by augmenting the pH from 5 to 7 and from 7 to 12, respectively. This unusual behavior was due to the fact that the affinity of the As(V) for the SMZ was dependent on the As(V) species that were present in solution. The adsorption capacity of the SMZ was slightly favored by decreasing the temperature from 25 to 15 °C. The heat of adsorption was estimated to be ΔH _ads=−46.82 KJ/mol, indicating that the adsorption was exothermic and the As(V) was chemisorbed on the SMZ.     

Biosorption of uranium(VI) by a mangrove endophytic fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium sp</Emphasis>. #ZZF51 from the South China Sea

The uranium(VI) accumulation was studied in detail by using the biomass of mangrove endophytic fungus Fusarium sp.#ZZF51 from the South China Sea. The uranium(VI) biosorption process onto the tested fungus powders was optimized at pH 4.0, adsorption time 60 min, and uranium(VI) initial concentration 50 mg L⁻¹ with 61.89% of removal efficiency. According to Fourier transform infrared spectra for the tested fungus before and after loaded with uranium(VI), the results showed that both of hydroxyl and carboxyl groups acted as the important roles in the adsorption process. In addition, the experimental data were analyzed by using parameter and kinetic models, and it was obtained that the Langmuir isotherm model and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model provided better correlation with the experimental data for adsorption of uranium(VI).     

Biosorption of uranyl ions from aqueous solution by Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells immobilized on clinoptilolite

This study deals with the uptake of uranyl ions from aqueous solution using bio-modified natural clinoptilolite. The biosorption experiments were carried out in a batch system. Cell immobilization process and sorption of uranyl ions were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy techniques, respectively. The adsorption equilibrium was reached in 4 h, the optimum pH was 4.5 and the temperature had no significant effect on the uranyl biosorption. The experimental data were well fitted with Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. The maximum sorption capacity of cell immobilized clinoptilolite was 0.148 mmol ( \( {\text{UO}}_{2}^{2 + } \) ) g^?1 dry sorbent.     

Adsorption study for removal of Congo red anionic dye using organo-attapulgite

The organo-attapulgite was prepared using hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HTMAB) with equation equivalent ratio of HTMAB to CEC of attapulgite added and then used as adsorbent for the removal of Congo red (CR) anionic dye from aqueous solution. Adsorbent characterizations were investigated using infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The effects of contact time, temperature, pH and initial dye concentration on organo-attapulgite adsorption for CR were investigated. The results show that the amount adsorbed of CR on the organo-attapulgite increase with increasing dye concentration, temperature, and by decreasing pH. The adsorption kinetics was studied with the pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion models, and the rate constants were evaluated. It was found that the adsorption mechanisms in the dye/organo-attapulgite system follow pseudo-second-order kinetics with a significant contribution of film diffusion. Equilibrium data fitted perfectly with Langmuir isotherm model compared to Freundlich isotherm model, and the maximum adsorption capacity was 189.39 mg g⁻¹ for the adsorbent. Kinetic and desorption studies both suggest that chemisorption should be the major mode of CR removal by the organo-attapulgite. The results indicate that HTMAB-modified attapulgite could be employed as low-cost material for the removal of Congo red anionic dye from wastewater.     

Kinetics and equilibrium studies of adsorption of chromium(VI) ion from industrial wastewater using Chrysophyllum albidum (Sapotaceae) seed shells

A new biosorbent has been prepared by coating Chrysophyllum albidum (Sapotaceae) seed shells with chitosan and/or oxidizing agents such as sulfuric acid. This study investigated the technical feasibility of activated and modified activated C. albidum seed shells carbons for the adsorption of chromium(VI) from aqueous solution. The sorption process with respect to its equilibria and kinetics as well as the effects of pH, contact time, adsorbent mass, adsorbate concentration and particle size on adsorption was also studied. The most effective pH range was found to be between 4.5 and 5 for the sorption of the metal ion. The pseudo-first-order rate equation by Lagergren and pseudo-second-order rate equation were tested on the kinetic data, the adsorption process followed pseudo-second-order rate kinetics, also, isotherm data was analyzed for possible agreement with the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms, the Freundlich and Langmuir models for dynamics of metal ion uptake proposed in this work fitted the experimental data reasonably well. However, equilibrium sorption data were better represented by Langmuir model than Freundlich. The adsorption capacity calculated from Langmuir isotherm was 84.31, 76.23 and 59.63 mg Cr(VI)/g at initial pH of 3.0 at 30 °C for the particle size of 1.00–1.25 mm with the use of 12.5, 16.5 and 2.1 g/L of CACASC, CCASC and ACASC adsorbent mass, respectively. This readily available adsorbent is efficient in the uptake of Cr(VI) ion in aqueous solution, thus, it could be an excellent alternative for the removal of heavy metals and organic matter from water and wastewater.     

Adsorption of Heavy Metal Ions from Aqueous Solutions by Zeolite Based on Oil Shale Ash: Kinetic and Equilibrium Studies

Na-A zeolite was successfully synthesized via the alkaline fusion method with oil shale ash as the raw material. The adsorption capacity of it was tested by removing Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ from aqueous solutions. The results reveal the maximum adsorption capacity of adsorbent for Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Ni²⁺ were 224.72, 156.74, 118.34 and 53.02 mg/g, respectively. The effects of contact time and pH value of solutions on the adsorption efficiency of the zeolite were evaluated. Besides, The equilibrium adsorption data and the batch kinetic data were correlated with Langmuir and Freundlich models and the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models separately. The results show that the Langmuir isotherm and the pseudo-second-order equation were more suitable for the adsorption of Na-A zeolite for the metal ions. In addition, Thermodynamic parameters of the adsorption(the Gibbs free energy, entropy, and enthalpy) were also evaluated and discussed. The results demonstrate that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic under natural conditions and the synthesized zeolite was an effective adsorbent for the removal of metal ions from aqueous solution.     

Production of low sulfur diesel fuel via adsorption: an equilibrium and kinetic study on the adsorption of dibenzothiophene onto NaY zeolite

The adsorption of dibenzothiophene (DBT) in hexadecane onto NaY zeolite has been studied by performing equilibrium and kinetic adsorption experiments. The influence of several variables such as contact time, initial concentration of DBT and temperature on the adsorption has been investigated. The results show that the isothermal equilibrium can be represented by the Langmuir equation. The maximum adsorption capacity at different temperatures and the corresponding Langmuir constant (K _L ) have been deduced. The thermodynamic parameters (ΔG ⁰,ΔH ⁰,ΔS ⁰) for the adsorption of DBT have also been calculated from the temperature dependence of K _L using the van’t Hoff equation. The value of ΔH ⁰,ΔS ⁰ are found to be −30.3 kJ mol⁻¹ and −33.2 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹ respectively. The adsorption is spontaneous and exothermic. The kinetics for the adsorption process can be described by either the Langmuir model or a pseudo-second-order model. It is found that the adsorption capacity and the initial rate of adsorption are dependent on contact time, temperature and the initial DBT concentration. The low apparent activation energy (12.4 kJ mol⁻¹) indicates that adsorption has a low potential barrier suggesting a mass transfer controlled process. In addition, the competitive adsorption between DBT, naphthalene and quinoline on NaY was also investigated.     

Equilibrium,kinetic, and thermodynamic studies of lead ion adsorption from mine wastewater onto MoS2-clinoptilolite composite

This work explored the potential of clinoptilolite, molybdenum sulphide (MoS₂), and MoS₂-clinoptilolite composite in lead (Pb) removal from aqueous medium and industrial mining wastewater. MoS₂-clinoptilolite composite was successfully prepared by a hydrothermal method. The surface properties, structure, and composition of the synthesized composite and the parent compounds were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The removal efficiency of lead from aqueous solution was studied in batch-mode experiments. The MoS₂-clinoptilolite was used for the removal of Pb ions (50 mg/L) from an aqueous solution: ~100% of the Pb was removed with a MoS₂-clinoptilolite dose of 0.075 g, pH 6 at 328K within 90 min. The adsorption capacities of Pb onto MoS₂-clinoptilolite were found to be higher than those onto clinoptilolite. Metal ion adsorption behavior was well explained by the Freundlich model, that is, multilayer adsorption of Pb molecules occurred on the heterogeneous surface of adsorbents in case of clinoptilolite, while in the case of MoS₂-clinoptilolite, the Langmuir model was suitable, that is, the adsorption occurred on a monolayer surface. The rate of Pb adsorption was explained by pseudo-second-order model suggesting that the adsorption process is presumably chemisorption. Thermodynamic parameters such as ΔH°, ΔS°, and ΔG° were calculated, which indicated that the adsorption was spontaneous and exothermic in nature. The selectivity of each adsorbent for Pb was also tested by adding the adsorbents to real gold mine water which contains competitive metal ions.     

Diglycolamide functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes for removal of uranium from aqueous solution by adsorption

Diglycolamide functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (DGA-MWCNTs) were synthesized by sequential chemical reactions for removal of uranium from aqueous solution. Characterization studies were carried out using FT-IR spectroscopy, XRD and SEM analysis. Adsorption of uranium from aqueous solution on this material was studied as a function of nitric acid concentration, adsorbent dose and initial uranium concentration. The uranium adsorption data on DGA-MWCNTs followed the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms. The adsorption capacity of DGA-MWCNTs as well as adsorption isotherms and the effect of temperature on uranium ion adsorption were investigated. The standard enthalpy, entropy, and free energy of adsorption of the uranium with DGA-MWCNTs were calculated to be 6.09 kJ mole⁻¹, 0.106 kJ mole⁻¹ K⁻¹ and −25.51 kJ mole⁻¹ respectively at 298K. The results suggest that DGA-MWCNTs can be used as efficient adsorbent for uranium ion removal.     

Validation of a Monte Carlo HPGe detector model against irradiated foil gamma-ray spectroscopy measurements

In order to separate and pre-concentrate uranium from aqueous phase, a novel silica-based adsorbent was prepared by impregnating nalidixic acid (HNA) into a macroreticular silica/polymer composite support (SiO₂-P) with a mean diameter of 60 μm. Adsorption behavior of uranium from aqueous solution onto the adsorbent was studied. Experimental results indicated that HNA/SiO₂-P showed strong adsorption for uranium in a wide range of pH from 3.5 to 10.0, and the maximum adsorption capacity was 35.4 mg g⁻¹. In addition, HNA/SiO₂-P exhibited good selectivity for U(VI) and showed weak or bare adsorption affinity to foreign ions. Kinetic and isotherm of uranium adsorption were in accordance with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm adsorption model, respectively. Moreover, U(VI) sorption was found to be an endothermic reaction and spontaneous under experimental state. The synthesized adsorbent showed an admirable stability at lower pH values in aqueous solution.

     

Evaluation on dye removal capability of didodecyldimethylammonium-bentonite from aqueous solutions

The removal efficiency of Reactive Blue 19 (RB19) by using surfactant-modified bentonite (MB) from aqueous solutions, and also textile wastewater samples was examined. Natural bentonite (NB) was firstly modified with didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDDAB) in order to increase the removal capacity of bentonite. MB was then characterized by Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectrophotometer (FTIR), x-ray diffractometry (XRD), x-ray fluorescence (XRF), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)/EDX, zeta potential, elemental, and thermal analysis techniques. The high adsorption capacity of MB was 407.7?mg g^?1 at pH?=?1.5 and 20^°C. The adsorption of Reactive Blue 19 onto MB agreed with the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models.     

Efficient adsorptive removal of tetracycline from aqueous solution using phytosynthesized nano-zero valent iron

Recently, nano-zero valent iron (nZVI) has been identified as one of the most promising materials for the removal of a wide range of pharmaceuticals in water. However, nZVI effectiveness in aqueous media is dramatically reduced due to its aggregation and instability. To overcome these problems, castor oil (Ricinus communis Linn.) leaves aqueous extract has been used in this study as a reducing and stabilizing agent to increase the stability of nZVI. The fabricated RCL-nZVI was well characterized using several spectroscopic techniques, e.g., steady-state absorption and fluorescence, SEM, TEM, FTIR, EDS, XRD, XPS, and zeta potential. The green phytosynthesized RCL-nZVI was examined in the adsorptive removal of tetracycline (TC). It was interesting to see that the removal efficiency of TC by RCL-nZVI reached 98% at pH 6 and 25 °C. The efficient removal of TC from the aqueous solution was in accordance with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and well fitted to Langmuir model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 72.64 mg. g⁻¹. In this study, a plausible removal mechanism was discussed, which primarily involves both adsorption and reduction pathways.     

Synthesis, characterization, thermodynamic and kinetic investigations on uranium (VI) adsorption using organic-inorganic composites: Zirconyl-molybdopyrophosphate-tributyl phosphate

Zirconyl-molybdopyrophosphate-tributyl phosphate (ZMPP-TBP) was a novel organic-inorganic composite adsorbent prepared by co-precipitation method and used in the adsorption of uranium from aqueous solution in batch adsorption experiments. The as-obtained product was characterized using SEM, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), XRD and BET-N₂ adsorption measurements. The study had been conducted to investigate the effects of solution pH, temperature, contact time, initial concentration and coexisting ions. A maximum removal of 99.31% was observed for an initial concentration 5 mg/L, at pH 6.0 and an adsorbent dose of 1.0 g/L. The isothermal data were fitted with both Langmuir and Freundlich equations, but the data fitted the former better than the latter. According to the evaluation using the Langmuir equation, the maximum adsorption capacity of uranium (VI) was 196.08 mg/g at 293 K and pH 6.0. The pseudo-first-order kinetic model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model were used to describe the kinetic data, and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model was better. The thermodynamic parameter ΔG was calculated, the negative ΔG values of uranium (VI) at different temperature showed that the adsorption process was spontaneous. The good reusability of ZMPP-TBP also indicated that the ZMPP-TBP was a very promising adsorbent for uranium adsorption from aqueous solution.     

Fabrication of carboxymethyl functionalized β-cyclodextrin-modified graphene oxide for efficient removal of methylene blue

In this study, a novel carboxymethyl functionalized β-cyclodextrin-modified graphene oxide (CM-β-CD-GO) adsorbent was designed and fabricated. The CM-β-CD-GO was applied to remove methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. The adsorption mechanism was discussed in detail through the study of pH effect, kinetics, and isotherm models. The adsorption of CM-β-CD-GO for MB displayed high removal rates at the pH range of 6.0–10.0, and the removal efficiency is over 90% within 20 min. The pseudo-second-order model could well describe the kinetic process of MB adsorption, and the adsorption was determined by the multi-step process. The maximum uptake capability of CM-β-CD-GO towards MB was 245.70 mg g⁻¹ at 25 °C according to Langmuir isotherm model. A possible adsorption mechanism that electrostatic attraction, π-π interaction, and host-guest supramolecular interactions supported MB adsorption was proposed. The adsorption capacity of CM-β-CD-GO showed no significant change after five cycles. The structure and morphology of CM-β-CD-GO were characterized by XPS, FT-IR, TGA, PXRD, AFM, SEM, zeta (ζ) potential determination, and Raman spectroscopy. This work provides valuable information for the design of novel adsorbents that specifically and efficiently adsorb cationic dyes contaminants.     

Evaluation of a new magnetic zeolite composite for removal of Cs+ and Sr2+ from aqueous solutions: Kinetic,equilibrium and thermodynamic studies

In this research, a new magnetic zeolite composite (MZC) was prepared by the chemical co-precipitation of Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ in the presence of zeolite A. The materials were characterized by XRD, XRF, FT-IR, DTG, SEM and VSM. The capability of the composite for the removal of Cs⁺ and Sr²⁺ from aqueous solution based on magnetically assisted separation was evaluated. Adsorption studies were performed to assess the effect of relevant parameters, including pH, initial ion concentration, contact time and temperature. The kinetic data of the system were well fitted to a pseudo-second-order model, which indicates a faster kinetic sorption, by the composite. By comparison of the adsorption capacity of MZC to zeolite A, it was concluded that the iron oxide contributed to the uptake of Cs⁺ and Sr²⁺. After each adsorption experiment, the magnetic composite was efficiently separated from the solution by an easy, fast and simple magnetic separation process by a permanent magnet.