Cd(II) binding by particulate low-rank coals in aqueous media: sorption characteristics and NICA-Donnan models

An experimental investigation of Cd(II) sorption onto two Australian coals was carried out in 0.1 M NaNO3 at 298.2 K. The initial concentration of Cd(II) was varied from 0.133 to 2.000 mmol/g in a series of batch adsorption experiments with an initial coal concentration of 3.75 g/L of Loy Yang (brown) or of Collie (sub-bituminous) coals in the p[H+] range 2-8. Adsorption edges were typical of metal ion adsorption onto negatively charged organic substrates, starting at p[H+] approximately 3 and increasing with increasing pH. The largest measured Cd(II) uptake capacities from these experiments were of 1.2 mmol/g for Loy Yang and 0.7 mmol/g for Collie coals. This difference is ascribed to the larger concentrations of carboxyl groups in Loy Yang coal (2.78 mmol/g) compared to Collie coal (1.34 mmol/g). An adsorption isotherm for Loy Yang coal at p[H+] 6 was collected up to a surface loading of 1.7 mmol/g of adsorbed Cd(II). These experiments also revealed a release of about 1.5-1.6 protons per adsorbed Cd(II). Zeta potentials of Loy Yang coal suspensions were not affected by Cd(II) adsorption, suggesting that the coal particles efficiently neutralize the charge of Cd(II). Collie coal, on the other hand, exhibited a zeta potential increase that may indicate a modification of the surface potentials of the coal particles. Cd(II) uptake data obtained from both batch experiments and proton balance data have been combined with p[H+] stat data for the same experimentally covered Cd(II)/coal ratios to model adsorption using the NICA-Donnan model. The modeling results suggest that both coals possess identical affinities and reaction stoichiometries. Loy Yang coal, however, possessed a narrower distribution of affinities.