Isotherm modeling and kinetic adsorption performance of nickel–cobalt ferrite nano-adsorbent for the removal of copper ions from wastewater
摘要
Environmental and human health concerns have been increasing due to rising levels of heavy metal pollutants. In this study, an adsorptive treatment method based on the use of nickel cobalt ferrite nano-adsorbent was proposed for the removal of copper ions from domestic wastewater. An unsophisticated, quick and economic process was used to synthesize the nickel cobalt ferrite (Ni0.5Co0.5Fe2O4; NiCoFe) nano-adsorbent, which was then characterized using XRD and SEM methods. Characterization results revealed that the synthesized nano-adsorbent exhibits a spherical porous structure consistent with literature data and demonstrates high phase purity. A univariate approach was used to optimize several parameters, including pH, buffer solution volume, adsorbent dosage, and mixing period, to achieve high adsorption outputs. The nickel–cobalt ferrite nano-adsorbent was subjected to a regeneration process to evaluate its reusability. Although a decrease in removal efficiency was observed by the third cycle, it was determined that the nano-adsorbent still exhibited distinct magnetic properties. The feasibility of the approach developed for Cu(II) removal was investigated through equilibrium adsorption studies conducted on domestic wastewater samples. As a result of the analytical performance evaluation of the FAAS system, the LOD and LOQ values were determined to be 0.06 mg/L and 0.19 mg/L, respectively, and the removal efficiency for copper ions was found to reach approximately 93.7%. Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models were used to assess equilibrium adsorption data; the Langmuir-1 model performed better, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9993. Pseudo-first and pseudo-second order models were also used to test the adsorption kinetic data. Rate constants were determined for the two models and correlation coefficients were calculated to evaluate which model provided the best fit. The best fit was provided by the pseudo-second order model equation. The results clearly demonstrated that the spinel ferrite nanomaterials were productive, unsophisticated and affordable adsorbents for the removal of Cu(II) ions from wastewater.