Characterization of metal adsorption kinetic properties in batch and fixed-bed reactors

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Water Treatment Engineering
• Adsorption Science

Background:

• Copper contamination poses environmental and health risks.
• Granular activated carbon (Filtrasorb 200) is a potential adsorbent for heavy metals.
• Understanding adsorption kinetics is crucial for designing effective water treatment systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the kinetic properties of copper adsorption onto granular activated carbon.
• To evaluate the influence of ionic strength, EDTA, and pH on copper adsorption.
• To model and simulate batch and fixed-bed adsorption processes.

Main Methods:

• Batch and fixed-bed adsorption experiments were conducted.
• Isothermal adsorption experiments were performed to determine adsorption capacity.
• Intraparticle diffusion and fixed-bed models were applied to analyze kinetic data.
• Effects of ionic strength, EDTA, pH, and flow rate were investigated.

Main Results:

• Copper adsorption capacity increased with higher ionic strength and decreased with EDTA presence.
• Uncontrolled pH led to faster kinetics due to surface precipitation.
• External mass transfer, diffusivity, and dispersion coefficients were determined.
• Higher flow rates increased external mass transfer and dispersion coefficients.

Conclusions:

• Granular activated carbon shows promise for copper removal, influenced by solution chemistry.
• Kinetic models accurately describe copper adsorption in different reactor configurations.
• Flow rate significantly impacts mass transfer and dispersion in fixed-bed systems.