Potential of pumice modified with iron(III) for copper removal from aqueous solutions

Iron-modified pumice (Fe-P) was prepared by the ion-exchange method using natural pumice from Kayseri, Turkey at room temperature without calcination. SEM, FTIR, XRD, and SBET measurement were used to investigate the copper removal mechanism. The results show that the SBET of the pumice increased from 11.88 m2/g to 21.01 m2/g after iron modification. The effects of pH, contact time, initial copper concentration, temperature, and various cations (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Al3+) at various pH were investigated in batch experiments. More than 92% of Cu(II) was removed after 180 min. Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin–Radushkevich and Temkin isotherm models were applied to the equilibrium data at 298, 308 and 318 K. The maximum adsorption capacity at 298, 308 and 318 K was found to be 21.52, 19.48, and 19.67 mg/g, respectively. The kinetics of copper on Fe-P was best described by the pseudo-second order kinetic model. The negative values of free energy change and enthalpy change indicated that the adsorption process was feasible, spontaneous and exothermic. © 2017 Technical University of Wroclaw. All rights reserved.