Study of the Cu(II) removal from aqueous solutions by adsorption on titania

Abstract

The removal of heavy metals from wastewaters is a matter of paramount importance due to the fact that their high toxicity causes major environmental pollution problems. One of the most efficient, applicable and low cost methods for the removal of toxic metals from aqueous solutions is that of their adsorption on an inorganic adsorbent. In order to achieve high efficiency, it is important to understand the influence of the solution parameters on the extent of the adsorption, as well as the kinetics of the adsorption. In the present work, the adsorption of Cu(II) species onto TiO2 surface was studied. It was found that the adsorption is a rapid process and it is not affected by the value of ionic strength. In addition, it was found that by increasing the pH, the adsorbed amount of Cu2+ ions and the value of the adsorption constant increase, whereas the value of the lateral interaction energy decreases. © 2010 Global NEST Printed in Greece. All rights reserved.