Wen-Xin Gong

Removal of fluoride by hydrous manganese oxide-coated alumina: performance and mechanism.

A novel hydrous-manganese-oxide-coated alumina (HMOCA) material was prepared through a redox process. The adsorbent was characterized by SEM, BET surface area measurement, XRD, pH(PZC) measurement, FTIR spectroscopy, and XPS. The manganese oxides were amorphous and manganese existed mainly in the +IV oxidation state. Batch and column experiments were carried out to investigate the adsorption potential of the adsorbent. Fluoride adsorption onto HMOCA followed the pseudo-second-order equation well with a correlation coefficient greater than 0.99. Both external and intraparticle diffusion contributed to the rate of transfer and removal. The adsorption of fluoride was thought to take place mainly by ion-exchange. Optimum removal of fluoride occurred in a pH range of 4.0-6.0. The maximum adsorption capacity calculated from the Langmuir model was 7.09 mg/g. The presence of HCO(3)(-), SO(4)(2-) and PO(4)(3-) had negative effects on the adsorption of fluoride. The adsorbed fluoride can be released by alkali solution. Column studies were performed and 669 bed volumes were treated with the effluent fluoride under 1.0mg/L at an influent F(-) concentration of 5.0mg/L and flow rate of 2.39 m(3)/(m(2)h) (empty bed contact time=7.5 min).

Characteristics and defluoridation performance of granular activated carbons coated with manganese oxides.

Using a redox process, granular activated carbon (GAC) was coated with manganese oxides to enhance its ability to adsorb fluoride from an aqueous solution. Compared with plain GAC, the fluoride adsorption capacity of this new adsorbent was improved and at least three times greater than that of uncoated GAC. The surface characteristics of coated GAC were observed with scanning electron microscopy. The surface area of the new adsorbent was calculated using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method. X-ray diffraction revealed that manganese oxides are amorphous. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrated that manganese existed primarily in the oxidation state +IV. Kinetic and equilibrium adsorption data showed that the adsorption process follows the pseudo-second order kinetic and Freundlich equation models. The sorption data also indicated that the removal of fluoride by adsorption is a highly complex process, involving both boundary layer diffusion and intra-particle diffusion. The pH value of solution influences fluoride removal, and the optimum equilibrium pH value of fluoride adsorption is 3.0.

Competitive biosorption of zinc(II) and cobalt(II) in single- and binary-metal systems by aerobic granules.

The biosorption process for removal of cobalt(II) and zinc(II) by aerobic granules was characterized. Single component and binary equimolar systems were studied at different pH values. The equilibrium was well described by Redlich-Peterson adsorption isotherm. The maximal adsorption capacity of the granules, in single systems (55.25 mg g(-1) Co; 62.50 mg g(-1) Zn) compared with binary systems (54.05 mg g(-1) Co; 56.50 mg g(-1) Zn) showed reduction in the accumulation of these metals onto aerobic granules. The kinetic modelling of metal sorption by granules has been carried out using Lagergren equations. The regression analysis of pseudo second-order equation gave a higher R(2) value, indicating that chemisorption involving valent forces through the sharing or exchange of electrons between sorbent and sorbate may be the rate limiting step. The initial biosorption rate indicated that aerobic granules can adsorb Co(II) more rapidly than Zn(II) from aqueous solutions. Meanwhile, FTIR and XPS analyses revealed that chemical functional groups (e.g., alcoholic and carboxylate) on aerobic granules would be the active binding sites for biosorption of Co(II) and Zn(II).

Removal of Fulvic Acids from Aqueous Solutions via Surfactant Modified Zeolite

A surfactant modified zeolite (SMZ), i.e., a zeolite modified by using hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (HDTMA) was used to remove fulvic acids (FA) from aqueous solution. The effects of the relevant parameters, such as the loading level of HDTMA, the contact time, the initial FA concentration, the pH, and the types of the metal cations and organics were examined. The results show that SMZ with an HDTMA loading-level of 120% of the external cation exchange capacity (ECEC) of zeolite exhibits the best performance. Although the removal of fulvic acids by SMZ occurs rapidly within the first 30 min of the contact time, a contact time of at least 4 h is required to attain the adsorption equilibrium. The removal capacity of FA by SMZ decreases with the increase of the initial FA concentration. The pH has an effect on the FA removal efficiency because it can influence the characteristics of the FA molecules. The removal of FA is considerably enhanced by Ca2+ or Mg2+ ions and is adversely affected by phenol or pentachlorophenol(PCP). Under the optimum conditions, 98% of FA could be removed by SMZ. Furthermore, the desorption of FA and the regeneration of SMZ were studied. The results show that a 30% ethanol solution is sufficient for the regeneration of SMZ.