Title

SLUDGE-ACTIVATED CARBONS FOR COPPER REMOVAL FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS

Authorship

Castro, Amilton Feliciano; Brum, Irineu Antônio Schadach de; Reis, Glaydson Simões dos; Sampaior, Carlos Hoffmann; Lima, Eder Claudio

Castro, Amilton Feliciano

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Brum, Irineu Antônio Schadach de

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Reis, Glaydson Simões dos

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Sampaior, Carlos Hoffmann

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Lima, Eder Claudio

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DOI

10.5151/1516-392X-27952

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Abstract

In this work, activated carbons (ACs) were prepared using Sewage sludge as starting material. The ACs were pyrolyzed in an inert atmosphere at 550 °C after independent chemical treatment with ZnCl2 or KOH with ratio of 1:1. The materials were used as adsorbents for removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solutions. The adsorbents were characterized using adsorption/desorption nitrogen isotherm, SEM (scanning electron microscopy). The results showed that copper removal could be linked to surface pH and compounds present on the surface of adsorbent. KOH-treated adsorbent has smaller surface area (186 m2 g-1) than ZnCl2-treated adsorbent (192 m2 g-1), however, KOH-treated adsorbent exhibited higher removal of Cu(II). The performance of KOH-treated adsorbent could be attributed to the presence of basic groups on the adsorbent surface. Liu isotherm model gave the best description of the equilibrium data. From the Liu isotherm, the maximum adsorption capacities at 298 K for KOH-treated, ZnCl2-treated and sewage sludge (without inorganic activation) adsorbents are 31.85, 19.79 and 3.513 mg g−1, respectively. The best desorption experiment was obtained using 1.50 mol L-1 of HNO3 as eluent. Recoveries of Cu(II) from Cu(II)-loaded adsorbents are 98.9% (ZnCl2-treated) and 95.5% (KOH-treated.

Keywords

Sewage sludge, Pyrolysis, Adsorption, Isotherm, Heavy metal

Heavy metal