Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 21, 2025

Removal of Arsenic Using a Cationic Polymer Gel Impregnated with Iron Hydroxide
Published on: June 28, 2019
Efficient Removal of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solution Using Licorice Residue-Based Hydrogel Adsorbent
Xiaochun Yin1,2, Ting Ke2, Hai Zhu2
1Department of Civil Engineering, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA.
Licorice residue (LR) was used to create novel hydrogels for heavy metal removal. The LR-EPI-8 hydrogel demonstrated high adsorption capacities for lead, chromium, and copper, offering an eco-friendly solution.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Heavy metal contamination in aqueous solutions poses significant environmental and health risks.
- Adsorption is a promising technology for heavy metal removal.
- Utilizing waste materials for adsorbent synthesis offers sustainable solutions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize novel hydrogels from licorice residue (LR) for heavy metal removal.
- To evaluate the adsorption performance of LR-EPI hydrogels for Pb2+, Cu2+, and Cr3+.
- To investigate the adsorption mechanisms and kinetics.
Main Methods:
- Hydrogel synthesis via crosslinking LR with epichlorohydrin (EPI).
- Characterization using FTIR and SEM.
- Batch adsorption studies to determine heavy metal removal efficiency and capacity.
- Kinetic and isotherm modeling (pseudo-second-order, Langmuir).
- Mechanism investigation using XPS and FTIR.
Main Results:
- Successfully synthesized porous LR-EPI hydrogels.
- LR-EPI-8 hydrogel showed high adsorption capacities: 591.8 mg/g for Pb2+, 458.3 mg/g for Cr3+, and 121.4 mg/g for Cu2+.
- Adsorption followed pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm for Pb2+ and Cu2+.
- Adsorption mechanism involves ion-exchange and electrostatic interactions.
Conclusions:
- LR-EPI-8 hydrogel is an effective and eco-friendly adsorbent for heavy metal removal.
- This approach provides a sustainable method for utilizing Chinese herb residues.
- The study contributes to waste-to-waste remediation strategies for heavy metals.
More Related Videos
11:14Two-way Valorization of Blast Furnace Slag: Synthesis of Precipitated Calcium Carbonate and Zeolitic Heavy Metal Adsorbent
Published on: February 21, 2017
05:52Resource Recycling of Red Soil to Synthesize Fe2O3/FAU-type Zeolite Composite Material for Heavy Metal Removal
Published on: June 2, 2022
Related Concept Videos
Extraction: Advanced Methods
Coagulation
Enhanced Elimination of Poison
Antidotes serve a crucial role in counteracting the effects of poison by inhibiting enzymes responsible for producing harmful drug metabolites. In some cases, these toxic metabolites can be neutralized by endogenous cosubstrates, which are maintained at specific concentrations to prevent interaction with cellular macromolecules and subsequent cell death.
Renal excretion is the...
Masking and Demasking Agents
There are many masking agents, such as cyanide, fluoride, triethanolamine, thiourea, and 2,3-bis(sulfanyl)propan-1-ol (formerly 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanol), with the masking agent chosen based on...
Prevention of Further Absorption of Poison
Precipitation and Co-precipitation