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Development and characterization of bentonite-gum arabic composite as novel highly-efficient adsorbent to remove thorium ions from aqueous media

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Abstract

Elimination of radioactive ions from wastewater using powerful adsorbents is of great importance for reducing the environmental pollution. Within this context, Bentonite (BNT)-Gum Arabic (GA) composite was developed as a new adsorbent to excellently eliminate Th(IV) ions from aqueous media. The produced composite adsorbent was examined by FTIR and SEM/EDX techniques. The effects of main empirical parameters on the adsorption efficiency were optimized by factorial design analysis. The maximum elimination capacity of BNT-GA was determined as 885.4 mg g−1 at pH 4.5, in 30 min, and 24 °C. Thermodynamic studies showed that Th(IV) adsorption progressed exothermically and the spontaneity of the process was lessened with the increase in temperature. Kinetic findings exposed that the adsorption mechanism fits perfectly with the pseudo-second-order (PSO) model. A 96% part of the adsorbed Th(IV) ions was recovered from the composite adsorbent using 1.0 M HCl. The produced composite revealed remarkable adsorption/desorption efficiency even after 7 cycles. All results show that the prepared BNT-GA compound can be used for the effective exclusion of Th(IV) ions from wastewater due to its advantageous properties such as great elimination capacity, cost-effectiveness, and facile preparation.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank DSR unit of KFUPM for financial support (Project No. IN171017 and DF181001). Dr. A. Sarı thank KTU owing to instrumentation feasibilities. Dr. M. Tuzen thanks Turkish Academy of Sciences due to financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Mineral, Dhahran, 31261, Saudi Arabia

    Tawfik A. Saleh

  2. Department of Metallurgical and Material Engineering, Karadeniz Technical University, 61080, Trabzon, Turkey

    Ahmet Sarı

  3. Center of Research Excellence in Renewable Energy (CORERE), Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

    Ahmet Sarı

  4. Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science and Arts, Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University, 60250, Tokat, Turkey

    Mustafa Tuzen

  5. Center for Environment and Water, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, 31261, Saudi Arabia

    Mustafa Tuzen

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  1. Tawfik A. Saleh
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  3. Mustafa Tuzen
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Correspondence to Tawfik A. Saleh.

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Author Tawfik A. Saleh declares that he has no conflict of interest. Author Ahmet Sarı declares that he has no conflict of interest. Mustafa Tuzen declares that he has no conflict of interest.

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Saleh, T.A., Sarı, A. & Tuzen, M. Development and characterization of bentonite-gum arabic composite as novel highly-efficient adsorbent to remove thorium ions from aqueous media. Cellulose 28, 10321–10333 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-021-04158-1

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