Removal of metal ions from a petrochemical wastewater using brown macro-algae as natural cation-exchangers

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2016

Authors

Maria A. P. Cechinel (Author) Other; Diego A. Mayer (Author) Other; Tatiana A. Pozdniakova (Author) FEUP; Luciana P. Mazur (Author) FEUP; Rui A. R. Boaventura (Author) FEUP; Antônio Augusto U. de Souza (Author) Other; Selene M. A. Guelli U. de Souza (Author) Other; Vítor J. P. Vilar (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Chemical Engineering Journal

Vol. 286

Pages: 1-15

ISSN: 1385-8947

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Proceedings

ISI Web of Knowledge - 44 Citations

Scopus - 75 Citations

INSPEC

Scientific classification

FOS: Engineering and technology > Environmental engineering

CORDIS: Technological sciences > Technology > Environmental technology

Associated Projects

LSRE-LCM - Laboratório de Processos de Separação e Reação - Laboratório de Catálise e Materiais

ALGAEVALUE - Valorização de macroalgas marinhas na separação e recuperação de iões metálicos tóxicos presentes em água

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00G-VHY

DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2015.10.042

Abstract (EN): Four brown macro-algae, Ascophyllum nodosum, Fucus spiralis, Laminaria hyperborea and Pelvetia canaliculata, were investigated as natural cation exchangers for the removal of transition metals from a petrochemical wastewater. The wastewater presents a high conductivity due to chloride, sulfate, sodium, calcium and residual concentrations of copper, zinc and nickel species. According to all-inorganic species evaluated, the molar fraction of Zn2+, Cu2+ and Ni2+ is near 92% and the remaining species are ZnCl+, ZnSO4, CuSO4, NiCl+ and NiSO4. A Langmuir multicomponent model was able to predict the ion-exchange equilibrium data for Cu, Ni, Zn and Ca species present in the petrochemical wastewater. L. hyperborea showed a higher uptake capacity than the other brown algae tested. The equilibrium affinity constants for the functional groups decreased in the following order: Cu > Zn > Ni approximate to Ca, except for L. hyperborea, which presents a lesser affinity for Ca. Ion-exchange breakthrough curves obtained from a fixed-bed column packed with raw L. hyperborea, led to an operating capacity of 0.22, 0.10 and 0.05 mEq/g for Cu, Zn and Ni, corresponding to 1558, 515, 528 BV (7.2 BV/h), respectively. The treatment strategy consisted in the operation of two consecutive columns, the first one for copper ions removal (operating capacity of 1558 BV - 7.2 BV/h) and the second one for zinc and nickel removal (operating capacity of 163 BV-7.3 BV/h). The elution of Cu, Zn and Ni from the natural resin was achieved with 10 and 6 BV of HCl (0.4 M, 1.2%) (150 and 90 g HCl/L of resin), using a flow rate of 3.6 BV/h, respectively for the first and second columns.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 15