Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The sorption of nitrate using different sorbents is an important process for water treatment. This study
presents the removal of nitrate from water by two types of sorbents: CuTiO3 and CuFe2O4. CuTiO3 was
successfully prepared by a sol-gel method and CuFe2O4 by a co-precipitation method. The sorbents obtained
have been structural, morphological and textural characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron
microscopy (SEM), specific surface area (BET) and sorption studies for nitrate in water. Batch experiments
were conducted under specific operating conditions and the excellent adsorption ability for nitrate resulted at
pH = 4. The effects of co-anions (SO42-) in water at different nitrate concentration was also studied to
demonstrate the influence of ionic strength on the nitrate adsorption.
Keywords: copper titanate, copper ferrite, nitrate anion, sorption studies
* email: cristina_covaliu@yahoo.com
268
http://www.revistadechimie.ro
SEM analysis
The morphology of CuTiO 3 and CuFe 2O 4 powders,
calcined at 700 0C/5h and 500 0C/2h respectively, was
evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and was
illustrated in figs.3 and 4. A higher tendency of the particles
to form agglomerates it was observed in the case of
REV. CHIM. (Bucharest) 63 No. 3 2012
http://www.revistadechimie.ro
269
The BET surface area for the CuFe2O4 is 9.15 m2/ (fig.7).
The BJH adsorption cumulative surface area of pores is
10.0 m2/g and BJH desorption cumulative surface area of
pores is 9.91 m2/g (fig.8). Single point adsorption total pore
volume of pores less than 443.5148 nm diameter at p/p =
0.99 is 0.02 cm3/g.
Adsorption isotherms
Experiments were carried out in Erlenmeyer flasks
placed in a temperature controlled orbital shaker (stirring
speed of 150 min-1) for 24 h as it had been established
previously that thus is equilibrium time. Fifteen miligrams
of the sorbent were equilibrated to 30 mL of nitrate solution
at 22 2oC using the background electrolyte 0.1M K2SO4.
Sorbents were dried at 1000C three hours before starting
the experiments.
Batch adsorptions studies were performed as a function
of contact time, initial nitrate concentration, pH and
influence of other interfering anion.
In the equilibrium sorption were determined:
- the influence of equilibrium concentration on the
sorption capacity (uptake);
- the comparative study of the sorption isotherms with
Langmuir isotherms type;
In figures 9a and 9b it was presented the plot of sorbtion
for copper titanate and copper ferrite used as sorbents.
Good sorbtion results were obtained both in the absence
of electrolyte and also in the presence of electrolyte.
Maximal sorption capacity of nitrate was obtained at pH 4,
at which this is the predominant form of the anion. In the
case of copper titanate the maximal sorption capacity was
2.069 mg/L and in the case of copper ferrite was 0.951
mg/L. The sorption equilibrium was obtained at pH = 4.
The impact of sulphate (SO42) anion, on nitrate removal
by the studied sorbents was investigated at 200mgL-1 of
initial nitrate concentration. The concentration of sulphate
anion was 0,1M. It was observed that nitrate adsorption
was mainly influenced by the presence of sulphate anion.
At ionic strength 0.1M, the concentration of nitrate
270
http://www.revistadechimie.ro
References
1. A. BHATNAGARA, M. SILLANPA, A review of emerging adsorbents
for nitrate removal from water, Chemical Engineering Journal 168
(2011) 493504
2. Y. H. LIOU, S. L. LO, C.J. LIN, W. H. KUAN, S. C. WENG, Effects of
iron surface pretreatment on kinetics of aqueous nitrate reduction,
Journal of Hazardous Materials B126 (2005) 189194
3. N. KIM NGA, D. KIM CHI, Synthesis, Characterizations and Catalytic
activity of CoAl2O4 and NiAl2O4 spinel- Types Oxides for NOx Selective
Reduction, Advances in Technology of Materials and Materials
Processing, 6(2), (2004) 336-343
4. N.I. CHUBAR, V.F. SAMANIDOU, V.S. KOUTS, G.P. GALLIOS, V.A.
KANIBOLOTSKI, V.V. STRELKO, I.Z. ZHURAVLEV, Adsorption of fluoride,
http://www.revistadechimie.ro
271