title: Removal of copper from aqueous solution by aminated and protonated mesoporous aluminas: kinetics and equilibrium.
abstract: A novel adsorbent, aminated and protonated mesoporous alumina, was prepared and employed for the removal of copper from aqueous solution at concentrations between 5 and 30 mg/l, in batch equilibrium experiments, in order to determine its adsorption properties. The removal of copper by the adsorbents increases with increasing adsorbent dosages. The adsorption mechanism is assumed to be an ion exchange between copper and the hydrogen ions present on the surface of the mesoporous alumina. The adsorbent was characterized by XRD, TEM, SEM, and BET methods. The sorption data have been analyzed and fitted to linearized adsorption isotherm of the Freundlich, Langmuir, and Redlich-Peterson models. The batch sorption kinetics have been tested for first-order, pseudo-first-order, and pseudo-second-order kinetic reaction models. The rate constants of adsorption for all these kinetic models have been calculated. Results also showed that the intraparticle diffusion of Cu(II) on the mesoporous catalyst was the main rate-limiting step.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical Engineering, Seoul National University, Shillim, Kwanak, Seoul 151-742, South Korea.
authors.forename: Selvaraj
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rengaraj
authors.forename: Younghun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Cheol Kyun
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.forename: Jongheop
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yi