Enhancement of the Adsorptive Properties of a Desert Salsola Vermiculata Species

• Published in: Adsorption science & technology Vol. 21; no. 8; pp. 739 - 750
• Main Authors: Benderdouche, Noureddine, Bestani, Benaouda, Benstaali, Baghdad, Derriche, Zoubir
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.10.2003; Multi Science
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Activation; Adsorption; Carbon; Chemistry; Deserts; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Phosphoric acid; Solid-liquid interface; Surface physical chemistry; Waste water; Wood; Copper II; Phosphoric acid; Liquid solid interface; Heat treatment; Nickel II; Liquid solid adsorption; Adsorption isotherm; Activation; Plant leaf; Water vapor; Langmuir isotherm; Plant; Transition metal Ions; Carboxylic acid; Aqueous solution; Acetic acid; Adsorbent
• ISSN: 0263-6174; 2048-4038
• DOI: 10.1260/026361703773581795

Heat pretreatment, steam activation and 20% phosphoric acid activation were found to enhance the adsorption capacity of a desert Salsola Vermiculata plant species significantly relative to the inactivated plant and powdered wood carbon 600200 EX 694 as obtained from Belgium. The batch adsorption experiments resulted in a maximum adsorption capacity determined from Langmuir models of up to 476 mg/g for acetic acid, 238 mg/g for copper(II) ions and 144 mg/g for nickel(II) ions, whereas for the inactivated plant they attained values of 53 mg/g, 65 mg/g and 18 mg/g, respectively. The results for the wood carbon were 65 mg/g for acetic acid, 45 mg/g for copper(II) ions and 2.4 mg/g for nickel(II) ions. The Freundlich model was found to provide a better description of copper(II) ion adsorption onto the steam- and chemically-activated plant, whereas nickel(II) ion adsorption processes followed Langmuir behaviour. These results showed that the activated plant could prove to be very useful in removing toxic substances from wastewater.