Removal of Boron from Water by Mg-Al-Ce Hydrotalcite Adsorption

Abstract

Boron is an important micronutrient for plants, animals, and humans. However, high concentrations of boron are harmful to animals and plants. A magnesium-aluminum-cerium hydrotalcite (Mg-Al-Ce-HT) was successfully prepared by the co-precipitation method for boron removal. Different analyses were conducted to confirm the structure and characteristics of Mg-Al-Ce-HT. Adsorption efficiency of Mg-Al-Ce-HT was studied as a function of initial pH, amount of adsorbent, concentration of initial boric acid, and contact time. The pH of the solution had a negligible effect on boron sorption when pH was less than 8.0. However, the adsorption capacity decreased when the pH exceeded 8.0. The optimum amount of the adsorbent was 200 mg, and the maximum adsorption capacity was 32.52 mg•g-1. Boron removal reached equilibrium at 160 min. The thermodynamic parameters revealed that the adsorption was a non-spontaneous and endothermic process. The data fitted well with the Langmuir model, which indicated that the process involved monolayer adsorption.