Adsorption-Desorption of Critical Metals from Simulated Acid Mine Drainage by Metakaolin Geopolymer

Abstract

Geopolymers are adsorbents of interest in the waste water treatment, as they can perform as cation exchanger for a wide variety of metals at circumneutral pH. In here, the adsorption of copper and cobalt from a complex matrix, mimicked from real acid mine drainage was studied. Adsorbents at a dose from 5 - 40 g/L was applied, and regenerated with sulfuric acid. The effect of regeneration on adsorption capacity is studied.