[Adsorption Behaviors of Lead on Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube-Hydroxyapatite Composites]

Multi-walled carbon nanotube-hydroxyapatite composites (MWCNT-HAP) were employed as the sorbent to study the sorption characteristic of Pb (II) using batch experiments. Effects of dosage of adsorbent, pH, ionic strength, contact time, initial concentration of lead and temperature were investigated. The results indicated that the removal of lead to MWCNT-HAP composites was strongly dependent on dosage of adsorbent, pH, temperature, and independent of ionic strength. The maximum adsorption capacity of lead was about 716. 13 mg.g-1 at 20°C, with a solid/liquid ratio of 0.08 g.L-1, pH0 = 5.5 and an initial concentration of 100 mg.L-1. The adsorption of Pb(II) on MWCNT-HAP composites was a fast process and could reach the equilibrium within 60 minutes. Ninety percent of the maximum adsorption capacity could be reached in 30 minutes. The kinetic data were fitted to pseudo-second-order kinetic model reasonably well. The kinetic sorption of Pb(II) on MWCNT-HAP was well described by pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The negative free energy calculated from the temperature dependent sorption isotherms suggested that the sorption of Pb(II) on MWCNT-HAP composites was a spontaneous process, and high temperature favored the adsorption process. The higher correlation coefficient values (R2 = 0. 999 8 - 1. 000 0) of Langmuir isotherm model at different temperatures suggested that Langmuir model could be used to simulate the sorption of Pb(II) on MWCNT-HAP. The adsorption mechanism mainly involves surface complexation between the lead ions and the surface oxygen-containing functional groups of the MWCNT-HAP, dissolution of HAP and precipitation of pyromorphite [Pb10 (PO4)6 (OH) 2], ion exchange reaction between Pb2+ and Ca2+ of hydroxyapatite.