Effect of the acid treatment conditions of kaolinite on etheramine adsorption: A comparative analysis using chemometric tools

Kinetic, thermodynamic and physical-chemical study of the removal of copper from cachaça using coconut fibers

The use of coconut fiber as a copper adsorbent in cachaça was optimised, and changes in the chemical quality of the beverage were observed by analytical techniques. The influence of the adsorbent mass and copper concentration parameters was investigated using the Central Composite Design, and the optimum condition was obtained through the use of Response Surface Methodology. The equilibrium of the adsorption reaction was obtained within 120 min. The kinetic data were better adjusted for the Elovich model (Elovich and Zhabrova 1939) and the isotherm data for the Sips model (Sips 1948). The maximum adsorption capacity was 1.38 mg g^-1. Slight changes in the physicochemical quality of the beverage were observed, including a decrease in volatile acidity and alcohol content. Copper levels in cachaça decreased from 8.57 mg L^-1 to 4.97 mg L^-1 after adsorption. Therefore, the use of biomass as a metal ion adsorbent in beverages can be successfully employed.

Natural and Chemically Modified Post-Mining Clays—Structural and Surface Properties and Preliminary Tests on Copper Sorption

The structural and surface properties of natural and modified Pliocene clays from lignite mining are investigated in the paper. Chemical modifications are made using hydrofluoric acid (HF), sulfuric acid (H2SO4), hydrochloric acid (HCl), nitric acid (HNO3), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), at a concentration of 1 mol/dm3. Scanning electron microscopy is used to detect the morphology of the samples. Nitrogen adsorption isotherms were recorded to determine the specific surface area (SSA), mesoporosity, microporosity, and fractal dimensions. The raw clay has an SSA of 66 m2/g. The most promising changes in the structural properties are caused by modifications with HF or H2SO4 (e.g., the SSA increased by about 60%). In addition, the raw and modified clays are used in preliminary tests with Cu(II) sorption, which were performed in batch static method at initial Cu(II) concentrations of 25, 50, 80, 100, 200, 300, and 500 mg/dm3 in 1% aqueous suspensions of the clayey material. The maximum sorption of Cu(II) on the raw material was 15 mg/g. The structural changes after the modifications roughly reflect the capabilities of the adsorbents for Cu(II) adsorption. The modifications with HF and H2SO4 bring a similar improvement in Cu(II) adsorption, which is around 20–25% greater than for the raw material. The structural properties of investigated clays and their adsorptive capabilities indicate they could be used as low-cost adsorbents (e.g., for industrial water pretreatment).

Application of Red Mud in Wastewater Treatment

Red mud (RM) is an industrial waste produced in large amounts during alumina extraction from bauxite. Its disposal generates serious environmental pollution due to high alkalinity. Therefore, a strategy for the effective utilization of RM must be developed. For instance, RM may be transformed into useful products, such as adsorbents. Given its high concentrations of aluminum oxides, iron oxides, titanium oxides, silica oxides, and hydroxides, RM may be developed as a cheap adsorbent for the removal of various ions from aqueous solution and soils (e.g., metal and non-metal ions, phenolic compounds, and dyes) and waste gas purification (sulfide and carbide). This review summarizes the background, properties, and applications of RM as an adsorbent. Proper approaches of removing metal and non-metal elements from wastewater are also systematically reviewed and compared. Emphasis is placed on the surface modification of RM to obtain high adsorption. Finally, the scope for future research in this area for RM is discussed in depth.