Modification of Chaetoceros sp. biomass with silica-magnetite coating and adsorption studies towards Cu(II) ions in single and binary system

Abstract

Adsorbent synthesis from Chaetoceros sp. biomass with silica-magnetite coating technique (ASMC) and without magnetite (ASC) has been performed through the sol-gel process. Both adsorbents were characterized by infrared spectrophotometer, X-Ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The adsorption process of Cu(II) ions was performed in a single and binary systems using batch method. The adsorption data of Cu(II) ions on ASC and ASMC within a single system follows the pseudo kinetic model of order 2 with the adsorption rate of Cu(II) ions on ASMC faster than ASC. The adsorption isotherm model of Cu(II) ions on ASC and ASMC tend to follow Langmuir adsorption isotherm model with adsorption capacity of 57.77 and 105.91 mg g-1, respectively. The ASMC material is not selective for Cu(II) ions with the ion pairs such as Ni(II), Zn(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions.