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Enhanced Adsorption of Metal Ions Onto Polyethyleneimine-Impregnated Palm Shell Activated Carbon: Equilibrium Studies

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Abstract

In this study, palm shell activated carbon was impregnated with polyethyleneimine (PEI) and the effect of impregnation on batch adsorption of Ni2+, Cd2+or Pb2+ as well as the equilibrium behavior of adsorption of metal ions on PEI-impregnated AC were investigated. PEI impregnation evidently increased the single metal adsorption capacities of Ni2+ or Cd2+except for Pb2+, where its adsorption capacities were reduced by 16.67% and 19.55% for initial solution pH of 3 and 5 respectively. This suggested that PEI-impregnated AC could be used for selective separation of Pb2+ ions from other metal ions. The adsorption data of all the metal ions on both virgin and PEI-impregnated AC for both initial solution pH of 3 and 5 generally fitted the Langmuir and Redlich-Peterson isotherms considerably better than the Freundlich isotherm.

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Abbreviations

A :

Redlich–Peterson constant

B :

Redlich–Peterson constant

C e :

equilibrium concentration, mg/l

C 0 :

initial concentration, mg/l

G :

Redlich–Peterson constant

K :

Langmuir constant.

K F :

Freundlich constant

M :

weight of AC, g.

pHPZC :

pH of point of zero charge

q e :

equilibrium adsorption capacity, mg/g.

n :

Freundlich constant

q m :

adsorbate adsorbed per unit mass of adsorbent (monolayer adsorption), mg/g.

R 2 :

correlation coefficient

V :

volume, l.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia for the IRPA research grant and Bravo Green Sdn Bhd, Kuching, Malaysia for generous provision of palm shell activated carbon for research purposes. The authors would also like to acknowledge Mr. Mohd Jindra Aris for assisting in description of the non-linear method.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

    Chun Yang Yin

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Mohamed Kheireddine Aroua & Wan Mohd Ashri Wan Daud

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  1. Chun Yang Yin
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  2. Mohamed Kheireddine Aroua
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  3. Wan Mohd Ashri Wan Daud
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Correspondence to Chun Yang Yin.

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Yin, C.Y., Aroua, M.K. & Daud, W.M.A.W. Enhanced Adsorption of Metal Ions Onto Polyethyleneimine-Impregnated Palm Shell Activated Carbon: Equilibrium Studies. Water Air Soil Pollut 192, 337–348 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-008-9660-9

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