Removal of Toxic As (V) Ions by Adsorption onto Alginate and Carboxymethyl Cellulose Beads

The removal of arsenic ions from dilute aqueous solutions using biopolymeric beads of crosslinked sodium alginate and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as the adsorbent is reported in this paper. The biopolymeric alginate and carboxymethyl cellulose beads were prepared and characterized by FTIR spectra. On the surfaces of the prepared beads were performed static and dynamic adsorption studies of arsenic ions at fixed pH and ionic strength of the aqueous metal ion solutions. The adsorption data were applied to Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm equations and various static parameters were calculated. The dynamic nature of adsorption was quantified in terms of several kinetic constants such as rate constant for adsorption (k₁) and Lagergreen rate constant (K_ad). The influence of various experimental parameters such as solid to liquid ratio, pH, temperature, presence of salts and chemical composition of biopolymeric beads were investigated on the adsorption of arsenic ions.     

Dynamic and Equilibrium Studies on Adsorption of Cu(II) Ions onto Biopolymeric Cross-Linked Pectin and Alginate Beads

Binary biopolymeric beads of alginate and pectin were prepared and characterized by FTIR spectra. On to the surfaces of the prepared beads were performed static and dynamic adsorption studies of Cu(II) ions at fixed pH and ionic strength of the aqueous metal ion solutions. The adsorption data were applied to Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm equations and various adsorption parameters were calculated. The influence of various experimental parameters such as effect of time, pH, temperature, solid to liquid ratio, and the presence of salts were investigated on the adsorption of copper ions.     

Removal of some nitrophenol contaminants using alginate gel beads

Biopolymers such as alginates are commonly used to remove the cationic contaminants from wastewaters. The major component of the alginate is the alginic acid, a linear, binary heteropolymer of β-d-mannuronate and -l-guluronate residues. In this study the fundamental aspects in the preparation of alginate beads and the effects of salt, sodium alginate concentrations and two cationic surfactants (dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) on the domains of binding isotherms were investigated. The alginate cross-link complexes with metal ions can exist either as homogeneous clear solutions or precipitates or as spherical beads. The applicability of the calcium and calcium–iron alginate gel beads for removal of some nitrophenols from aqueous solutions was studied. The sorption and kinetic experiments were conducted under different values of pH, initial concentration of nitrophenols and the amount of alginate gel beads. The removal efficiency of contaminant increases with the increasing of the pH and the quantity of alginate beads and decreases with the increasing of initial contaminant concentration. The uptake of nitrophenols occurs rapidly in the first 12 h, followed by a slow process that takes about 72 h. According to the egg-box model of gelation mechanism the cavities formed in the alginate gel capture the cationic contaminants. The adsorption equilibrium data obtained for nitrophenols derivatives at various pH and initial solid sorbent amount were applied to the two classical models, i.e. Langmuir and Freundlich, and the isotherm parameters were calculated.     

Removal of Rhodamine-B from Aqueous Solution by Adsorption onto Crosslinked Alginate Beads

The biosorption of rhodamine-B from aqueous solution using crosslinked alginate beads was studied by contact method at fixed pH ?3 and room temperature (28 ± 0.2°C). Both the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models could describe the adsorption equilibrium of the rhodamine-B onto crosslinked alginate beads. The influence of various experimental parameters such as pH, temperature, effect of concentration and time were evaluated. It was observed that the adsorption capacity of rhodamine-B onto alginate beads decreased with increase in pH and temperature above room temperature.     

Adsorption of Hg(II) Ions onto Binary Biopolymeric Beads of Carboxymethyl Cellulose and Alginate

The removal of Hg(II) ions from aqueous solution by adsorption onto cross-linked polymeric beads of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and sodium alginate was studied at fixed pH (6) and room temperature 28 ± 0.2°C. The cross-linked polymeric beads were characterized by FTIR spectra. Sorption capacity of the polymer for the mercury ions was investigated in aqueous media consisting different amounts of mercury ions (2.5 to 100 mg dm^?3) and at different pH values (2 to 8). Adsorption behavior of Hg(II) ions could be modeled using both the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The dynamic nature of adsorption was quantified in terms of several kinetic constants such as rate constants for adsorption (k₁) and Lagergreen rate constant (K_ad). The influence of various experimental parameters such as effect of pH, contact time, solid-to-liquid ratio, salt effect, and temperature effect etc. were investigated on the adsorption of Hg(II) ions.     

Modified Calcium Alginate Beads with Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate and Clay as Adsorbent for Removal of Methylene Blue

In present study, we have investigated the effect of an anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and clay on calcium alginate beads was studied to remove methylene blue (MB) and to improve the adsorption capacity. The effects of various experimental parameters, such as shaking rate, initial dye concentration, temperature, and pH on the adsorption rate, have been studied. Equilibrium studies showed that the sorption of the dye was enhanced in presence of SDS. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis showed that SDS entrapped beads have more pores and cavities which could be responsible for improved adsorption of MB. The kinetics of cationic dye adsorption nicely followed pseudo-second-order process. The evaluated thermodynamic parameters (ΔG ^o, ΔH ^o, ΔS ^o) suggest endothermic adsorption of MB. The results revealed that the surfactant entrapped alginate could be considered as potential adsorbents for MB removal from aqueous solutions.     

Preparation, Properties and Mechanism of Inhomogeneous Calcium Alginate Ion Cross-linking Gel Microspheres

Inhomogeneous calcium alginate ion cross-linking gel microspheres,a novel ion absorbent,were prepared by dropping a sodium alginate solution to a calcium chloride solutioin via an electronic droplet generator.Calcium alginate microspheres have uniform particle sizes.a smooth surface and a microporous structure.The electrode probe reveals the inhomogeneous distribution of calcium ions with the highest concentration on the surface,and the lowest concentration in the cores of the spheres.As a novel ion adsorbent,calcium alginate gel microspheres have a lower limiting adsorption mass concentration,a higher enrichment capacity and a higher adsorption capacity for Pb^2 than usual ion exchange resins.The highest percentage of the adsorption is 99.79%.The limiting adsorption mass concentration is 0.0426mg/L.The adsorption capacity for Pb^2 is 644mg/g,Calcium alginate gel microspheres have a much faster ion exchange velocity than D418 chelating resin and D113 polyacrylate resin.The moving boundary model was employed to interpret the ion exchange kinetics process,which indicates that the ion exchange process is controlled by intraparticle diffusion of adsorbable ions.So the formation of inhomogeneous gel microspheres reduces the diffusion distance of adsorbable ions within the spheres and enhances the ion exchange velocity.Alginate has a higher selectivity for pb^2 than for Ca^2 and the selectivity coefficient KCa^Pb is 316. As an ion cross-linking gel,calcium alginate inhomogeneous microspheres can effectively adsorb heavy metal Pb^2 at a higher selectivity and a higher adsorption velocity.It is a novel and good ion adsorbent.     

SEM–EDS study of ionically cross-linked alginate and alginic acid bead formation

Alginate is a natural polysaccharide that is widely used in industrial applications. Here, beads of alginic acid, calcium, and copper alginate were prepared by the addition of soluble sodium alginate to a solution of hydrochloric acid or the corresponding cation. The progress of gelation inside the beads was followed by the degree of opacity at different times, which corresponded well to an apparent morphology change observed in freeze-dried bead cross sections analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, diffusion of Cu²⁺ ions across the beads was followed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, which revealed colocalization of the cross-linking cation and the morphologically distinct bead regions.     

Adsorption of metal ions by microwave assisted grafting of cross‐linked chitosan beads. Equilibrium,isotherm, thermodynamic and desorption studies

Chemical modification of chitosan has become increasingly essential due to chitosan versatility that enables the material to be easily modified in a way of increasing its properties in adsorption processes. In this investigation, chitosan solution was cross‐linked with glutaraldehyde the cross‐linked solution was used in producing the beads and thereafter grafted with ethylene acrylic acid. The chemical functionalities of the beads were obtained by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Adsorption of Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cr⁶⁺ and Cd²⁺ ions from single component aqueous mixture by grafted cross‐linked chitosan beads (GXXB) was studied as a function of pH, temperature, initial concentration, contact time, agitation speed and ionic strength. Equilibrium data was obtained from the adsorption experiment, the data were applied in isotherm, thermodynamics and kinetic studies. The Langmuir, Temkin and Dubinin‐kaganer‐Radushkevich (DKR) model were successful in describing the isotherm data for the considered metal ions while the Freundlich model was not efficient in describing the experimental data. Pseudo‐second order and intra‐particle model described the kinetic data quite well. Thermodynamic parameters such as Gibb's free energy change (?G^o), enthalpy change (?H^o) and entropy change (?S^o) were calculated and the results showed the adsorption of Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cr⁶⁺ and Cd²⁺ ions onto GXXB is spontaneous and endothermic in nature. Regeneration of the used adsorbent was effective for the studied metal ions.     

A novel green biosorbent from chitosan modified by sodium phytate for copper (II) ion removal

A novel kind of adsorbent bead was prepared from chitosan (CS) by ionic‐linked with sodium phytate (SP) and then covalent cross‐linked with epichlorohydrin (ECH) by nonsolvent‐induced phase separation. The structure of the beads was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The adsorption properties of the beads for Cu(II) ions under different adsorption conditions were investigated. The maximum adsorption capacity of Cu(II) ions was 177.1 mg g⁻¹ at the conditions of pH of 5.2, temperature of 50°C, and initial Cu(II) ion concentration of 728.3 mg L⁻¹. The adsorption isotherm of Cu(II) ions on the CS/SP/ECH beads was well correlated with the Langmuir isotherm model, and the whole adsorption process could be better followed the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model. Moreover, the CS/SP/ECH beads still exhibited good adsorption capacity even after the 15th regeneration cycles.     

Biosorption of radiostrontium by alginate beads: application of isotherm models and thermodynamic studies

Radioactive strontium is one of the major radioactive contaminant and its contamination is a very serious concern. Therefore, there is a need for economic, effective, non-toxic, readily available and abundant adsorbent or biosorbent to remove strontium from solutions. In this study, biosorption of ⁸⁵Sr as a surrogate for ⁹⁰Sr onto alginate beads was investigated in a batch system. Alginate beads were prepared from Na-alginate via cross-linking with divalent calcium ions according to the egg box model. The effect of several parameters such as pH, initial strontium concentration, contact time, dosage of alginate beads and temperature were investigated. In order to optimize the design of biosorption system for the removal of strontium, it is important to establish the most appropriate correlation for equilibrium curves. The experimental isotherm data were described by 6 different biosorption isotherm models, namely Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin–Radushkevich, Temkin, Flory–Huggins and Brunauer, Emmer and Teller, with constants obtained from linear and non-linear regression methods. The thermodynamic parameters (?H°, ?S° and ?G°) for strontium biosorption were also determined. The results indicate that these alginate beads have a good potential for the biosorption of strontium from solutions.     

Extended release of Gliclazide from highly stabilized calcium alginate/poly(acrylamide) beads for diabetes management

In the present work, stability of calcium alginate beads has been remarkably improved by a novel strategy which consists of in situ formation of poly (acrylamide) within the calcium ions cross-linked sodium alginate beads. The resulting beads have been found to be stable for more than 48 h, in the physiological fluid (PF) of pH 7.4, while the plain alginate beads disintegrated within a couple of hours. The release of the anti-diabetic drug Gliclazide (Glz) from the beads was investigated under physiological conditions. The enhanced stability and prolonged release was also confirmed by an in vivo study on Albino Wistar rats.     

A study of the factors affecting the adsorption of cobalt ions onto Pakistani coal powder from solutions

Large deposits of coal are abundantly available in Pakistan. An attempt has been made to check its efficacy for the cobalt ions from aqueous solutions in order to exploit the locally available naturally occurring cheaper material for the decontamination/removal of metal ions from nuclear and industrial effluents. The adsorption behavior of cobalt ions on coal powder has been studied as a function of various physicochemical parameters i.e., stirring speed, shaking time, pH, concentration of cobalt ions, temperature, etc. Conditions for the uptake of cobalt ions were established. Adsorption dynamics models such as intra-particle diffusion model, pseudo-first order kinetic model (Lagergren’s equation) and pseudo-second order kinetic model were applied to the adsorption data to elucidate the adsorption process and its mechanism. Results reveal that the adsorption mechanism is predominantly diffusion and both intra-particle and boundary layer diffusion seem significant in the rate controlling step. The adsorption process is best accounted for using pseudo second order kinetic model and the overall rate of adsorption process appears to be controlled by more than one step, namely the external mass transfer and intra-particle diffusion mechanism. The existence of two slopes in the Freundlich plot also confirms the surface diffusion and intra-particle diffusion modes of adsorption. The Langmuir isotherm equation was obeyed well in the whole range of cobalt ions concentration with high value of correlation coefficient (r ²  = 0.999). The adsorption energy (E _a) calculated from D–R isotherm was 6.756 kJ/mol indicating physical nature of adsorption. The adsorption of cobalt ions increased with the increase of temperature and thermodynamic parameters such as ΔH, ΔS and ΔG were calculated. Results suggested that the cobalt ions adsorption on coal powder is endothermic (ΔH 33.90 kJ/mol) and spontaneous (negative ΔG values) process. The adsorption of other metal ions on coal powder was studied at optimized condition for cobalt ions to check its selectivity. Consequently, cobalt ions can be removed from Zr, Ru Eu, Er, Sm, Gd, Dy, Ce, U, and Th ions, where as Cs, Cr and Sr ions reduces the adsorption of cobalt ions by co-adsorption and their reducing affect is in the order of Sr > Cr > Cs.     

Studies on removal of cobalt from an alkaline waste using synthetic calcium hydroxyapatite

The removal of cobalt from an alkaline waste solutions containing sodium was carried out using a radiotracer in a batch method using synthetic calcium hydroxyapatite (HAP). The influence of different parameters such as solution pH, contact time, cobalt concentration, and presence of other ions like sodium on cobalt removal was studied. The sorption process followed pseudo-second-order kinetics with necessary time of around 23–25 h to reach equilibrium and the cobalt uptake was quantitatively evaluated using the Freundlich model. The results indicated that the mechanism of cobalt removal by HAP was mainly due to chemisorption on a heterogeneous surface. In the presence of sodium, the sorption of cobalt on HAP was not affected. The sorption of cobalt on HAP was pH independent in the range from 4 to 8, because of its buffering properties. The adsorption of cobalt on HAP was fast and the percentage of cobalt sorption was >97 % during the first 30–40 min of the contact time.     

Adsorption equilibrium and kinetics of copper ions and phenol onto modified adsorbents

The adsorption equilibrium and kinetics of single and binary component copper ions and phenol onto powdered activated carbon (PAC), alginate beads and alginate-activated carbon beads (AAC) were studied. Adsorption equilibrium data for single component copper ions and phenol onto the adsorbents could be represented by the Langmuir equation. Multicomponent equilibrium data were correlated by the extended Langmuir and ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST). The IAST gave the best fit to our data. The amount of copper ions adsorbed onto the AAC beads in the binary component was greater than that of phenol. The internal diffusion coefficients were determined by comparing the experimental concentration curves with those predicted from surface diffusion and pore diffusion model.     

Biosorption of toxic,heavy, no-carrier-added radionuclides by calcium alginate beads

Summary Studies on adsorption behavior of heavy radionuclides, present altogether in no-carrier-added state, e.g., ^197-200Pb, ^197-200Tl and ¹⁹⁷Hg, have been carried out with calcium alginate beads. High lead (100%) and moderate thallium removal (~65%) was achieved in pH range 2-7. 100% mercury removal was also achieved at pH 2 and 4. Effort has been made to recover all three radionuclides adsorbed in the calcium alginate beads using various chemicals, such as HCl, thiourea, sodium acetate, sodium oxalate and sodium nitrite. It was found that 0.1M HCl and 0.1M thiourea could remove at pH 1 80-90% of adsorbed Pb. Tl recovery was possible by all chemicals mentioned above. Hg was also recovered by all chemicals except HCl.     

Formulation characterization and in vitro evaluation of acacia gum–calcium alginate beads for oral drug delivery systems

In the present work, new matrix bead formulations based on linear and branched polysaccharides have been developed using an ionic gelation technique, and their potential use as oral drug carriers has been evaluated. Using calcium chloride as a cross‐linking agent and sodium diclofenac (SD), as a model drug, acacia gum–calcium alginate matrix beads were formulated. The response surface methodology based on 3² factorial design was used as a statistical method to evaluate and optimize the effects of the biopolymers‐blend ratio and the concentration of calcium chloride on the particle size (mm), density (g/cm³), drug encapsulation efficiency (%), and the cumulative drug release after 8 hours (R_8h,%). The optimized beads with the highest drug encapsulation efficiency were examined for a drug‐excipients compatibility by powder X‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, thermo‐gravimetric analysis, and Fourier transform‐infrared spectroscopy analyses. The swelling and degradation of the matrix beads were found to be influenced by the pH of medium. Higher degrees of swelling were observed in intestinal pH than in stomach pH. Accordingly, the drug release study showed that the amount of SD released from the acacia gum–calcium alginate beads was higher in intestinal pH than in stomach pH. Therefore, the in vitro drug release from the SD‐loaded beads appears to follow the controlled‐release (Hixson‐Crowell) pattern involving a case‐2 transport mechanism operated by swelling and relaxation of the polymeric blend matrix.     

Studies in the development of nateglinide loaded calcium alginate and chitosan coated calcium alginate beads

Nateglinide loaded alginate-chitosan beads were prepared by ionic gelation method for controlling the drug release by using various combinations of chitosan and Ca2+ as cation and alginate as anion. IR spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray powder diffractometry were used to investigate the physicochemical characteristics of the drug in the bead formulations. The calcium content in beads was determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The swelling ability of the beads in different media (pH 1.2, 4.5, 6.8) has been found to be dependent on the presence of polyelectrolyte complex of the beads and the pH of the media. The ability to release the Nateglinide was examined as a function of chitosan and calcium chloride content in the gelation medium. It is evident that the rate of drug release and its kinetics could be controlled by changing the chitosan and the calcium chloride concentrations. Calcium alginate beads released more than 95% of drug with in 8 h; whereas coated beads sustained the drug release and released only 75-80% of drug. The drug release mechanism analyzed indicates that the release follows either "anomalous transport" or "case-II transport".     

Gelatin scaffolds functionalized by silver nanoparticle‐containing calcium alginate beads for wound care applications

The embedding of silver nanoparticle (nAg)‐containing calcium alginate (CaAlg) beads in gelatin scaffolds was aimed to reduce the burst release and prolong the release of silver (Ag⁺) ions for a long period of time. The reduced sizes of the nAg‐containing CaAlg beads were prepared by an emulsification/external gelation method. The diameter of these beads was ~2 µm. The nAg‐containing CaAlg beads were then embedded into gelatin scaffolds by a freeze‐drying method for evaluating the potential of these scaffolds as wound dressings. The compressive modulus of these scaffolds embedded with nAg‐containing CaAlg beads ranged between 7 and 9 kPa. For release study, the cumulative released amounts of Ag⁺ ions from the nAg‐containing CaAlg beads embedded in gelatin scaffolds were lower than those from the nAg‐containing CaAlg beads. Moreover, the nAg‐containing CaAlg beads embedded in gelatin scaffolds had great antibacterial activity and low cytotoxicity. Thus, these scaffolds had potential for sustaining the release and use in wound care applications, especially chronic wound. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation and evaluation of berberine alginate beads for stomach-specific delivery

The purpose of this research was to prepare floating calcium alginate beads of berberine for targeting the gastric mucosa and prolonging their gastric residence time. The floating beads were prepared by suspending octodecanol and berberine in sodium alginate (SA) solution. The suspension was then dripped into a solution of calcium chloride. The hydrophobic and low-density octodecanol enhanced the sustained-release properties and floating ability of the beads. The bead formulation was optimized for different weight ratios of octodecanol and SA and evaluated in terms of diameter, floating ability and drug loading, entrapment and release. In vitro release studies showed that the floating and sustained release time were effectively increased in gastric media by addition of octodecanol. In vivo studies with rats showed that a significant increase in gastric residence time of beads had been achieved.