ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Adsorption of Copper, Zinc, and Nickel
Using Loess as Adsorbents
Pongsakorn Punrattanasin1, Panha Sariem2
More details
Hide details
1Research Center for Environmental and Hazardous Substance Management, Khon Kaen University
2Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University,
123 Moo 16 Mittapap Road, Nai-Muang, Muang District, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Submission date: 2014-06-30
Final revision date: 2014-09-05
Acceptance date: 2014-09-23
Publication date: 2015-05-20
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2015;24(3):1259-1266
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
This study focuses on the investigation of the adsorption behavior of copper, zinc, and nickel on red and
yellow loess by applying batch technique. Contact time, initial concentration of metal ions, and temperature
were observed as the influential parameters in the adsorption process. The results expressed that the equilibrium
time was attained within four hours; the adsorption capacity was temperature-dependent and endothermic.
The removal efficiency at lower concentration was superior to the higher one, whereas the adsorption capacity
was enhanced at higher concentrations. Freundlich and Langmuir models can be found satisfactory to predict
the adsorption isotherm. The maximum adsorption capacities of red and yellow loess at 30ºC of Cu, Zn,
and Ni were respectively found to equal 0.95 mg/g, 1.27 mg/g, 0.79 mg/g, 1.23 mg/g, 1.65 mg/g, and 1.65
mg/g. The yellow loess comprised with the highest removal capacities and the maximum adsorption capacities
in comparison with the red one. Zinc consisted of the best adsorption affinity with the order of Cu<Ni<Zn
for both kinds of adsorbents.