Synthesis of Zeolites from Greek Fly Ash and Assessment of Their Copper Removal Capacity

Removal of Heavy Metal Ions from Aqueous Solution Using Biotransformed Lignite

Heavy metal pollution caused by industrial wastewater such as mining and metallurgical wastewater is a major global concern. Therefore, this study used modified lignite as a low-cost adsorbent for heavy metal ions. Pingzhuang lignite was dissolved and modified using Fusarium lignite B3 to prepare a biotransformed-lignite adsorbent (BLA). The O, H, and N contents of the BLA increased after transformation, and the specific surface area increased from 1.81 to 5.66 m²·g^-1. Various adsorption properties were investigated using an aqueous solution of Cu(Ⅱ). The kinetic and isothermal data were well-fitted by pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models, respectively. The Langmuir model showed that the theoretical Cu(II) adsorption capacity was 71.47 mg·g^-1. Moreover, large particles and a neutral pH were favorable for the adsorption of heavy metal ions. The adsorption capacities of raw lignite and BLA were compared for various ions. Microbial transformation greatly improved the adsorption capacity, and the BLA had good adsorption and passivation effects with Cu(II), Mn(II), Cd(II), and Hg(II). Investigation of the structural properties showed that the porosity and specific surface area increased after biotransformation, and there were more active groups such as -COOH, Ar-OH, and R-OH, which were involved in the adsorption performance.

Magnetization of Bauxite Residue to Enhance the Removal Efficiency Towards Heavy Metals

Bauxite residues are a mass of industrial wastes derived from aluminum metallurgy. This work provided a simple pyrolysis method to magnetize the bauxite residue to serve as a magnetic adsorbent towards heavy metals removal. The X-ray diffraction patterns and Mossbauer spectrum results confirmed the partial reduction of iron species with an obvious enhancement in magnetization. The magnetized bauxite residue exhibited excellent removal efficiencies for Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ with maximum adsorption capacities of 219.0 mg g^-1, 275.4 mg g^-1, and 100.4 mg g^-1, which could be quickly separated through a magnet. The adsorption equilibrium data were fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model, while the adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-first-order model. According to the characterization results, chemical precipitation and sorption was the major mechanism for the removal of Cu²⁺, Pb²⁺, and Cd²⁺. Thus, the magnetized bauxite residue exhibited promising applications for heavy metals removal in wastewater.

Characterization of Cu(II) and Zn(II) Sorption onto Zeolite

In this study, a batch sorption study approach was combined with an instrumental analytical approach of atomic absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for the sorption of copper and zinc ions from aqueous solution on zeolites. Both copper and zinc are biogenic elements; nevertheless, many industrial processes produce an excessive amount, which is why their efficient removal from water must be studied. Two types of zeolites, Zeolite Micro 20 (Z-M20) and Zeolite Micro 50 (Z-M50), were used. The results showed that the maximum sorption capacities for removal of Cu and Zn were 1.06 for CuSO4, 42.35 for Cu(NO3)2, 1.15 for ZnSO4 and 2.29 for Zn(NO3)2 adsorption onto Z-M20 and 0.45 for CuSO4, 1.67 for Cu(NO3)2, 0.39 for ZnSO4 and 1.51 for Zn(NO3)2 adsorption onto Z-M50. The maximum sorption capacities are higher for sulfates and the sorbent with smaller particle size. The sorption capacities of Cu and Zn for corresponding anion and particle size differ only up to 5–15%. Using XRD and XPS analyses before and after the sorption process, it was found that the content of both Cu and Zn in the surface layer and the bulk are the same for sorption onto sorbent with smaller particle size, but are higher in the surface layer than in the bulk for sorption onto sorbent with larger particle size. One of the main findings of this study is that a zeolite with smaller particles takes Cu and Zn by the whole particle, while with bigger particles, Cu and Zn concentrate in the surface of the particle. The results of the study may be used as an indicator for sorption efficiency of the studied zeolites for their application in the treatment of copper and zinc contaminated effluents.