Trivalent chromium ion removal from synthetic wastewater using graphene oxide nanocollector by various flotation mechanisms

• Published in: Separation science and technology Vol. 60; no. 6; pp. 711 - 722
• Main Authors: Sadatipour, Mohammad, Hoseinian, Fatemeh Sadat
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis 13.04.2025; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Chromium; Collectors; Effectiveness; Environmental degradation; Flotation; Foam separation; Fractionation; Freshwater; Freshwater resources; Graphene; graphene oxide; Heavy metals; Industrial applications; Industrial wastes; Industrial wastewater; Inland water environment; ion flotation; Potentially toxic elements; Recovery; Sodium; Sodium dodecyl sulfate; Sodium lauryl sulfate; Trivalent chromium; Wastewater treatment; water recovery
• ISSN: 0149-6395; 1520-5754
• DOI: 10.1080/01496395.2025.2452407

The scarcity of freshwater resources for industrial applications poses a significant global concern. Therefore, wastewater treatment is vital for industrial reuse and decreases environmental damage. Chromium, commonly encountered in industrial wastewater, is regarded as a highly toxic metal and a significant environmental pollutant. In this study, the ion removal of trivalent chromium was investigated by graphene oxide (GO) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as collectors using various flotation methods including foam fractionation, ion flotation, and precipitation flotation. The effective parameters of the collector type and pH were studied to assess the chromium ion removal, water recovery during the process, and flotation mechanisms. Experimental results indicated that the highest ion removals, achieved with SDS and GO collectors, were 88.86% and 86.07%, respectively, at a pH of 6.3 using the ion flotation method. Notably, GO reduced water recovery by approximately 15% compared to optimal conditions using SDS. The results indicated the remarkably high efficacy of GO as a nanocollector in the ion flotation process for efficiently removing chromium ions with significantly lower collector consumption.