Effect of nickel on the adsorption of silver ions over activated carbon, Hossam Altaher, Yehia Magdy and Anwar Yaqout
Hossam Altaher
Sustainable Solution Group, Kuwait City
Kuwait
Email: haltaher@hotmail.com
Yehia H. Magdy
El-Minia University, El-Minia
Egypt
Anwar F. Al Yaqout
Kuwait University, Kuwait City
Kuwait
DOI: 10.1108/WJSTSD-07-2019-0048
Purpose: The disposal of wastewater containing silver is an environmental concern. Due to the toxicity of silver, treatment of such wastewater is necessary. Real wastewater contains a complex matrix of pollutants. The purpose of this paper is to study the adsorption behavior of silver in single and binary systems (with nickel) onto granular activated carbon.
Design/methodology/approach: The effect of silver ions concentration and the mass of adsorbent on the adsorption behavior were analyzed. Five two-parameter isotherms (Langmuir, Elovich, Freundlich, Dubinin–Radushkevich and Temkin) were applied to investigate the adsorption mechanism. Both linear and nonlinear regressions were tested for the first three isotherms. The experimental data were also fitted to Redlich–Petersons, Sips and Toth models.
Findings: A direct relationship between the initial silver ion concentration and its adsorption capacity was observed, whereas an inverse relationship between the adsorbent mass and the adsorption capacity was documented. The Langmuir model was found to best-fit the data indicating monolayer adsorption behavior. The maximum uptake was 2,500 mg/g in the single adsorption system. This value decreased to 909 mg/g in the binary system. The adsorption was found to have an exothermic chemical nature.
Originality/value: The study of the silver adsorption in a single system is inaccurate. Real wastewater contains a complex matrix of pollutants. This research gives a clear insight into the adsorption behavior in binary systems.
Keywords: Adsorption; Equilibrium; Isotherms; Wastewater; Silver; Binary system.
Citation: Altaher, H., Magdy, Y.H. and Al Yaqout, A.F. (2020), "Effect of nickel on the adsorption of silver ions over activated carbon", World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 224-234. https://doi.org/10.1108/WJSTSD-07-2019-0048
