An innovative zinc oxide-coated zeolite adsorbent for removal of humic acid

Lingling Wang; Changseok Han; Mallikarjuna N Nadagouda; Dionysios D Dionysiou

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.03.070

An innovative zinc oxide-coated zeolite adsorbent for removal of humic acid

J Hazard Mater. 2016 Aug 5:313:283-90. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.03.070. Epub 2016 Mar 26.

Authors

Lingling Wang¹, Changseok Han², Mallikarjuna N Nadagouda³, Dionysios D Dionysiou⁴

Affiliations

¹ College of Chemical Engineering and Materials, Quanzhou Normal University, Quanzhou 362000, Fujian, China; Environmental Engineering and Science Program, 705 Engineering Research Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0012, USA. Electronic address: lasier_wang@hotmail.com.
² ORISE Post-doctoral Fellow, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD, NRMRL, STD, CPB, 26 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA.
³ The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD, NRMRL, WSWRD, WQMB, 26 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA.
⁴ Environmental Engineering and Science Program, 705 Engineering Research Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0012, USA; Nireas-International Water Research Centre, School of Engineering, University of Cyprus, PO Box 20537, 1678, Nicosia, Cyprus. Electronic address: dionysios.d.dionysiou@uc.edu.

PMID: 27135170
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.03.070

Abstract

Zinc oxide (ZnO)-coated zeolite adsorbents were developed by both nitric acid modification and Zn(NO3)2·6H2O functionalization of zeolite 4A. The developed adsorbents were used for the removal of humic acid (HA) from aqueous solutions. The synthesized materials were characterized by porosimetry analysis, scanning electron microscopy, X-Ray diffraction analysis, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The maximum adsorption capacity of the adsorbents at 21±1°C was about 60mgCg(-1). The results showed that the positive charge density of ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents was proportional to the amount of ZnO coated on zeolite and thus, ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents exhibited a greater affinity for negatively charged ions. Furthermore, the adsorption capacity of ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents increased markedly after acid modification. Adsorption experiments demonstrated ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents possessed high adsorption capacity to remove HA from aqueous solutions mainly due to strong electrostatic interactions between negative functional groups of HA and the positive charges of ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents.

Keywords: Electrostatic interaction; Humic acid; Natural organic matter; Water treatment; Zeolite; Zinc oxide.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.