Poly(Lactic acid)/activated carbon composite beads by phase inversion method for kinetic and adsorption studies of Pb 2+ ions in aqueous solution

Abstract

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/activated carbon (AC) composite beads (PLA/AC beads) were prepared by a phase inversion technique to adsorb Pb 2+ ions from an aqueous solution. In this work, the influence of various factors on the adsorption of pollutant Pb 2+ ions were examined by batch equilibration. The effects of contact time, pH, adsorbent dosage, and initial concentration of Pb 2+ ions were evaluated. The porous structure of the prepared PLA/AC beads was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption–desorption methods. The adsorption behavior of the developed PLA/AC beads followed the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models. However, the Langmuir model fitted better than the Freundlich model. The maximum adsorption capacity of the beads was 202.81 mg g –1 at pH 5 and 23°C±2°C. These results indicated that these PLA/AC beads could provide an alternative high-performance granular adsorbent for the removal of Pb 2+ ions from polluted water.