Removal of Copper,Nickel, and Zinc Ions from Electroplating Rinse Water

Removal of copper, nickel, and zinc ions from synthetic electroplating rinse water was investigated using cationic exchange resin (Ceralite IR 120). Batch ion exchange studies were carried out to optimize the various experimental parameters (such as contact time, pH, and dosage). Influence of co‐existing cations, chelating agent EDTA on the removal of metal ion of interest was also studied. Sorption isotherm data obtained at different experimental conditions were fitted with Langmuir, Freundlich, Redlich–Peterson, and Toth models. A maximum adsorption capacity of 164 mg g^?1 for Cu(II), 109 mg g^?1 for Ni(II), and 105 mg g^?1 for Zn(II) was observed at optimum experimental conditions according to Langmuir model. The kinetic data for metal ions adsorption process follows pseudo second‐order. Presence of EDTA and co‐ions markedly alters the metal ion removal. Continuous column ion exchange experiments were also conducted. The breakeven point of the column was obtained after recovering effectively several liters of rinse water. The treated rinse water could be recycled in rinsing operations. The Thomas and Adams–Bohart models were applied to column studies and the constants were evaluated. Desorption of the adsorbed metal ions from the resin column was studied by conducting a model experiments with Cu(II) ions loaded ion exchange resin column using sulfuric acid as eluant. A novel lead oxide coated Ti substrate dimensionally stable (DSA) anode was prepared for recovery of copper ions as metal foil from regenerated liquor by electro winning at different current densities (50–300 A cm^?2).     

Removal of Fluoride from Aqueous Solutions by Adsorption Using a Siliceous Mineral of a Kenyan Origin

The problem of high fluoride in water sources in Africa and the rest of the developing world has exacerbated in the latest past due to increasing shortage of water. More people are being exposed to high water fluoride resulting in elevated levels of fluorosis in the societies. Fluoride (F) adsorption from solutions using a siliceous mineral from Kenya (M1) was studied on batch basis and results verified on high fluoride water using fixed‐bed column experiments. About 100% batch F adsorption was achieved at 200 mg/L F concentration, 0.5 g/mL adsorbent dosage, 303–333 K, and pH 3.4 ± 0.2. Based on Giles classifications, F adsorption isotherm was found to be an H3 type isotherm. The equilibrium data was correlated to Freundlich and Langmuir models and the maximum Langmuir adsorption capacity was found to be 12.4 mg/g. Column experiments were conducted for different fluoride concentrations, bed depths, and flow rates. The F breakthrough curves were analyzed using the Thomas model and efficient F adsorption was found to occur at low flow rates and low influent concentrations. The Thomas F adsorption capacity (11.7 mg/g) was consistent with the Langmuir isotherm capacity showing that M1 could be applied as an inexpensive medium for water defluoridation.     

Removal of Cr(VI) by Zero‐valent,Iron‐encapsulated Alginate Beads

Zero‐valent, iron‐encapsulated alginate beads were synthesized and were applied for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions. The effects of several important parameters including solution pH, contact time, initial concentration and reaction temperature on Cr(VI) removal levels were investigated in batch studies. An initial solution pH of 1.0 was seen to be most favorable for Cr(VI) removal. The removal process was quick and almost 80% of the removal was attained within 60 min. The kinetic data followed the second‐order equation well. The Cr(VI) removal was almost reaction temperature‐independent and decreased with an increase in Cr(VI) initial concentration. The removal of Cr(VI) by iron‐encapsulated alginate beads was found to be significantly higher than that of non‐encapsulated alginate beads.     

Competitive Adsorption of Nickel and Copper Ions from Aqueous Solution Using Nonliving Biomass of the Marine Brown Alga Laminaria japonica

The adsorption of nickel and copper in a bicomponent system using the nonliving biomass of the marine brown alga Laminaria japonica was investigated in batch systems as a function of initial solution pH, contact time and temperature. The adsorption of nickel and copper was strongly pH dependent. Kinetic studies pointed to a rapid uptake with an equilibrium time of about 30 min. The kinetic curves were successfully fitted by linear regression to pseudo first and pseudo‐second‐order equations. The equilibrium data was analyzed using several models, including the extended Langmuir equation, modified extended Langmuir model and combined extended Langmuir‐Freundlich model. The results suggested that the competitive adsorption of nickel and copper at all temperatures was best represented by the combined extended Langmuir‐Freundlich isotherm. The isotherms indicated competitive uptake, with copper being preferentially adsorbed followed by nickel with an increase in the amount of solute in solution. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that the simultaneous adsorption of nickel and copper ions could be considered to be a spontaneous, endothermic process, with increased randomness.     

S‐Doped Magnetic Mesoporous Carbon for Efficient Adsorption of Methyl Orange from Aqueous Solution

A simple and rapid soft‐templating coupled with one‐pot solvent thermal method is developed to synthesize S‐doped magnetic mesoporous carbon (S‐doped MMC). In this method, phenolic resin is used as a carbon precursor and Pluronic copolymer P123 is used as a template and 2,5‐dimercapto‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole is used as sulfur source. Prepared S‐doped MMC processes a high specific surface area, the Fe₃O₄ particles are well embedded in the mesoporous carbon walls that exhibit a strong magnetic response, and the hydrated iron nitrate loading amount of 0.808 g is the best. Batch adsorption experiments are carried out at different pH, initial concentration, temperature, and contact time on the adsorption of methyl orange (MO) by S‐doped MMC. The kinetic data of the adsorption process are better fitted with pseudo‐second‐order model than the pseudo‐first‐order model. Langmuir model is more suitable for the equilibrium data than Freundlich model. The thermodynamic parameters including ΔG⁰, ΔH⁰, and ΔS⁰ indicate that the adsorption is a feasible, spontaneous, and endothermic process. Finally, it is found that the coexistence of PO₄^3?, NO₃^?, SO₄^2?, Cl^?, and CO₃^2? does not influence the adsorption process. These results illustrate S‐doped MMC can be an efficient adsorbent for the removal of MO from wastewater.     

Application of Agro‐Based Biomasses for Zinc Removal from Wastewater – A Review

Zinc remediation of aqueous streams is of special concern due to its highly toxic and persistent nature. Conventional treatment technologies for the removal of zinc are not economical and further generate huge quantity of toxic chemical sludge. Biosorption is emerging as a potential alternative to the existing conventional technologies for the removal of metal ions from aqueous solutions. Mechanisms involved in the biosorption process include chemisorption, complexation, adsorption–complexation on surface and pores, ion exchange, microprecipitation, heavy metal hydroxide condensation onto the bio surface, and surface adsorption. Biosorption largely depends on parameters such as pH, the initial metal ion concentration, biomass concentration, presence of various competitive metal ions in solution, and to a limited extent on temperature. Biosorption using biomass such as agricultural wastes, industrial residues, municipal solid waste, biosolids, food processing waste, aquatic plants, animal wastes, etc., is regarded as a cost‐effective technique for the treatment of high volume and low concentration complex wastewaters containing zinc metal. Very few reviews are available where readers can get an overview of the sorption capacities of agro based biomasses used for zinc remediation together with the traditional remediation methods. The purpose of this review article is to provide the scattered available information on various aspects of utilization of the agro based biomasses for zinc metal ions removal. An extensive table summarizes the sorption capacities of various adsorbents. These biosorbents can be modified using various methods for better efficiency and multiple reuses to enhance their applicability at industrial scale. We have incorporated most of the valuable available literature on zinc removal from waste water using agro based biomasses in this review.     

Degradation of Phenol in Aqueous Solution by Fenton,Sono‐Fenton and Sono‐photo‐Fenton Methods

The present work focuses on the performance of Fenton, sono‐Fenton, and sono‐photo‐Fenton processes for the oxidation of phenol present in aqueous solution. The effects of H₂O₂ concentration, Fe²⁺ concentration, pH, and initial phenol concentration on the oxidation of phenol were studied. The optimum Fe²⁺ and H₂O₂ concentrations for the Fenton process were 45 and 800 mg/L, respectively. For the sono‐Fenton process, the optimum Fe²⁺ and H₂O₂ concentrations were 30 and 800 mg/L, respectively. The optimal conditions for the sono‐photo‐Fenton process were found to be 20 mg/L of Fe²⁺ and 700 mg/L of H₂O₂. The optimum pH was found to be 3 for the processes investigated in the present study. The analysis of results showed that the sono‐photo‐Fenton method reduced the Fe²⁺ concentration by 30–50% and the H₂O₂ concentration by 12.5%. It was found that the sono‐photo‐Fenton technique showed better performance than the Fenton and sono‐Fenton processes for the oxidation of phenol. A lumped kinetic model was used to predict the chemical oxygen demand reduction and the model was found to fit the data.     

Adsorption of Cationic Dyes from Aqueous Solution by Termite Feces,a Non‐Conventional Adsorbent

The adsorption of three cationic dyes (rhodamine B, RB; crystal violet, CV; and malachite green, MG) onto termite feces, a low‐cost adsorbent, was investigated. The adsorbent was characterized by IR spectroscopy, point of zero charge measurement, and the Boehm titration method. The adsorption follows the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model and the Langmuir–Freundlich isotherm with maximum adsorption capacities of 95.53 mg g^?1 (RB), 75.71 mg g^?1 (CV), and 44.78 mg g^?1 (MG). The study of thermodynamics showed that the adsorption is a spontaneous and endothermic process. This works suggest that termite feces can be used as a new low‐cost adsorbent for cationic dye removal.     

Development of Polymeric and Polymer‐Based Hybrid Adsorbents for Chromium Removal from Aqueous Solution

Ferric oxide‐loaded hybrid sorbents are environmentally benign and exhibit sorption behaviors for chromium removal from waters. In the current study, glycidyl methacrylate‐based polymer (GMD) and nanosized ferric oxide loaded glycidyl methacrylate‐based polymer (GMDFe) were prepared and assayed to examine the effect of ferric oxide loading on chromium sorption from aqueous solution for the first time from the equilibrium and kinetic points of view. The experimental equilibrium data, suitably fitted by the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms, have shown that ferric oxide loaded hybrid sorbent exhibits higher adsorption capacity than glycidyl methacrylate‐based polymer (GMD). The Langmuir isotherm model was found to be the most suitable one for the Cr(VI) adsorption. The maximum adsorption capacities of GMD and GMDFe sorbents were determined at pH 4 as 109.54 and 157.52 mg/g, respectively. A series of column experiments was carried out to determine the breakthrough curves. The column was regenerated by eluting Cr(VI) using NaOH (10% w/v) solution after adsorption studies.     

Adsorption of Chromium(III), Nickel(II), and Copper(II) from Aqueous Solution by Activated Alumina

The possible use of activated alumina powder (AAP) as adsorbent for Cr(III), Ni(II), and Cu(II) from synthetic solutions was investigated. The effect of various parameters on batch adsorption process such as pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, particle size, temperature, and initial metal ions concentration were studied to optimize the conditions for maximum metal ion removal. Both higher (molar) and lower (ppm) initial metal ion concentration sets were subjected to adsorption on AAP. Adsorption process revealed that equilibrium was established in 50 min for Cr(III) at pH 4.70, 80 min for Ni(II) at pH 7.00, and 40 min for Cu(II) at pH 3.02. Percentage removal was found to be highest at 55°C for Cr(III) and Ni(II) with 420 µm and 45°C for Cu(II) with 250‐µm particle size AAP. A dosage of 2 g for Cr(III), 8 g for Ni(II), and 10 g Cu(II) gave promising data in the metal ion removal. The adsorption process followed Langmuir as well as Freundlich models. The thermodynamics of adsorption of these metal ions on activated aluminum indicated that the adsorption was spontaneous and endothermic in nature. Present study indicates that AAP can act as a promising adsorbent for industrial wastewater treatment.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(2‐hydroxyethylmethacrylate‐hydroxyapatite) a Novel Composite for the Removal of Lead(II) from Aqueous Solutions

In the present study, a novel adsorbent, poly (2‐hydroxyethylmethacrylate‐hydroxyapatite) [P(HEMA‐Hap)], was prepared and characterized. The synthesis was achieved by means of free‐radical polymerization and a number of structural characterization methods, including FT‐IR, XRD, TGA, SEM, BET‐porosity, and swelling tests. Pb²⁺ adsorption was performed using a series of pH, time, and temperature ranges. The reusability of the composite was also tested. The results obtained indicated that the novel adsorbent is able to bind Pb²⁺ ions with strong chemical affinity. The adsorption results were fitted to the classic Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin–Radushkevich (D–R) sorption models. Thermodynamic parameters obtained demonstrated that the sorption process was spontaneous (ΔG < 0), endothermic (ΔH > 0), as expected. The process was also consistent with the pseudo‐second‐order model, and chemical adsorption was determined to be the rate‐controlling step. It was also shown that the composite could be used for five consecutive adsorption processes.     

Removal and Recovery of Molybdenum from Aqueous Solutions by Adsorption onto Surfactant‐Modified Coir Pith,a Lignocellulosic Polymer

Coconut coir pith, a lignocellulosic polymer, is an unwanted by‐product of the coir fiber industry. The pith was used as a biosorbent for the removal of Molybdenum(VI) after modification with a cationic surfactant, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide. The optimum pH for maximum adsorption of Mo(VI) was found to be 3.0. Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin Radushkevich isotherms were used to model the adsorption equilibrium data and the system was seen to follow all three isotherms. The Langmuir adsorption capacity of the biosorbent was found to be 57.5 mg g^–1. Kinetic studies showed that the adsorption generally obeyed a second‐order kinetic model. Desorption studies showed that the recovery of Mo(VI) from the spent adsorbent was feasible. The effect of foreign anions on the adsorption of Mo(VI) was also examined.     

Removal of Cationic Dye from Aqueous Solution by a Macroporous Hydrophobically Modified Poly(acrylic Acid‐acrylamide) Hydrogel with Enhanced Swelling and Adsorption Properties

A macroporous, hydrophobically modified poly(acrylic acid‐acrylamide) hydrogel was prepared. The fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) results showed that the hydrogel had a macroporous structure. The dynamic swelling and removal of cationic dyes, crystal violet (CV) and basic magenta (BM), by this macroporous hydrophobically modified poly(acrylic acid‐acrylamide) hydrogel were studied. The adsorption capacity and kinetic and isotherm studies of the cationic dyes into the hydrogels have been evaluated. It was found that the macroporous hydrophobically modified hydrogel (M) exhibited improved swelling and adsorption capacity compared with the non‐macroporous hydrophobically modified hydrogel (NM). The adsorption process agreed very well with the Langmuir model and the adsorption of the cationic dyes depended on the pH of the solution via a mechanism combining swelling, electrostatic, and hydrophobic interactions. Moreover, adsorption kinetic studies showed that the adsorption followed a pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model, indicating that chemical adsorption was the rate‐limiting step.     

Removal of Basic Textile Dyes in Single and Multi‐Dye Solutions by Adsorption: Statistical Optimization and Equilibrium Isotherm Studies

The removal of three basic dyes by adsorption onto bentonite was investigated for single, binary, and ternary solutions in a batch system. Before and after dye adsorption, bentonite samples were analyzed by using X‐ray fluorescence spectrometer, SEM, and Fourier transform IR spectrometry. The D‐optimal design and response surface methodology were applied in designing the experiments for evaluating the interactive effects of each initial concentrations variable of the dyes in binary systems. Predicted values were found to be in good agreement with experimental values, which defined propriety of the model and the achievement of D‐optimal in optimization of adsorption of binary dye systems. The competitive adsorption results showed that the adsorption amount of a dye was suppressed in the presence and increasing concentrations of second or third dye. For mono‐component isotherm modeling, Langmuir and Freundlich models were applied to equilibrium data of single, binary, and ternary dye solutions, while modified Langmuir, Sheindrof–Rebhun–Sheintuch and modified extended Freundlich models were also applied to equilibrium data of binary dye solutions for multi‐component isotherm modeling. The results showed that the Langmuir was the more suitable model for single dye systems while extended Freundlich model fitted best to the experimental data with the lowest error values for multi‐dye systems.