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Application of Pb–Fe spinel-activated carbon for phenol removal from aqueous solutions: fixed-bed adsorption studies

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Abstract

Fixed-bed studies for phenol uptake from water were carried out using a novel Pb–Fe spinel-activated carbon adsorbent. A characterization phase including TGA, FTIR, SEM, and BET analyses was performed for the developed active carbon. In column studies, the influence of initial phenol concentration, column bed height, and the solution flow rate was investigated at natural pH. Adsorption of phenol onto Pb–Fe spinel-activated carbon composite and pristine activated carbon was analyzed in the form of breakthrough curves. Under optimum conditions, the maximum adsorption capacities for the magnetic active carbon composite and pristine activated carbon were found to be 113.95 and 102.61 mg/g, respectively. Results indicated that the adsorption capacity of adsorbent for all examined conditions was higher than that obtained for unmodified activated carbon because the composite contains additional metal hydroxides compared with the pristine activated carbon. The Yoon and Nelson, Thomas, and instantaneous local equilibrium (ILE) models were used to explain column data collected under different operating conditions. Finally, the results of the continuous adsorption process were explained successfully using the Yoon–Nelson and Thomas models. Thus, the phenol adsorption on Pb-Fe@MAC was a feasible operation to be performed in fixed-bed mode.

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The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, upon reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Petroleum, Gas and Petrochemical Engineering, Persian Gulf University, Shahid Mahini Blvd, Bushehr, 75169-13817, Iran

    Esmaeil Allahkarami & Abolfazl Dehghan Monfared

  2. Persian Gulf Star Oil Company, Bandar Abbas, Iran

    Esmaeil Allahkarami

  3. Department of Civil and Environmental, Universidad de La Costa, CUC, Calle 58 # 55-66, Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia

    Luis Felipe Oliveira Silva

  4. Chemical Engineering Department, Federal University of Santa Maria, UFSM, Roraima Avenue 1000, Santa Maria, RS, 97105900, Brazil

    Guilherme Luiz Dotto

Authors
  1. Esmaeil Allahkarami
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  2. Abolfazl Dehghan Monfared
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  3. Luis Felipe Oliveira Silva
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  4. Guilherme Luiz Dotto
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Contributions

Esmaeil Allahkarami performed the experiments, prepared the original draft, and contributed in analysis, interpretation, and conceptualization. Abolfazl Dehghan Monfared supervised the project and contributed in writing and editing, data curation, and reviewing the manuscript. Luis Felipe Oliveira Silva contributed in the validation, analysis, and interpretation of the results. Guilherme Luiz Dotto contributed in reviewing and editing the paper and validation and analysis of modeling results.

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Correspondence to Abolfazl Dehghan Monfared.

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Allahkarami, E., Dehghan Monfared, A., Silva, L.F.O. et al. Application of Pb–Fe spinel-activated carbon for phenol removal from aqueous solutions: fixed-bed adsorption studies. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 23870–23886 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-23891-z

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