ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions using low-cost sorbents obtained from ash

Maria Harja, Gabriela Buema, Daniel Mircea Sutiman, and Igor Cretescu

Department of Chemical Engineering, “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi, 73 Prof. dr. docent D. Mangeron Street, 700050, Iasi, Romania

E-mail: icre@tuiasi.ro

Abstract: This study’s main objective was the development of effective low-cost sorbents for the removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. The influence of different factors on the sorption capacity of ash and modified ash as low-cost sorbents obtained by different methods was investigated. The synthesis of new ash-based materials was carried out at ambient temperature (20°C), 70°C, and 90°C, respectively, in an alkaline medium with NaOH concentrations of 2 M and 5 M, respectively, corresponding to a mixture with solid/liquid ratios of 1: 3 and 1: 5, respectively. The prepared materials (sorbents) were characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), X-ray diffraction, and BET surface measurement. Adsorption isotherms were determined using the batch equilibrium method. The results showed that these types of new materials displayed a good capacity to remove copper, nickel, and lead ions (29.97 mg of Cu²⁺ per g of sorbent, 303 mg of Ni²⁺ per g of sorbent, and 1111 mg of Pb²⁺ per g of sorbent) from aqueous solutions. The modified materials were prepared using an alkaline attack (a recognised method used in previous studies), but Romanian ash from a thermal power plant was studied for the above purpose for the first time. Hence, the factors which affect the sorption capacity of the prepared low-cost sorbents were determined and their behaviour was explained, taking into account the composition and structure of the new materials.

Keywords: ash – characterisation – heavy metal – low-cost sorbent – sorbent synthesis

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-012-0303-7

Chemical Papers 67 (5) 497–508 (2013)