Vermiculite as an exchanger for copper(II) and Cr(III) ions,kinetic studies

The adsorption of Cu(II) and Cr(III) ions by pure clay mineral, vermiculite, was examined in aqueous solution with respect to the adsorbent dose, initial metal ion concentration, pH, and contact time. The studies showed that vermiculite can be used as an adsorbent material for the moderate removal of Cr(III) and Cu(II) from aqueous solutions. Lagergren first-order, pseudo-second-order, and intraparticle diffusion models were used to describe the kinetic data. The kinetics of adsorption indicates that the process fitted well the intraparticle diffusion model.