Abstract
The present research aimed at investigating zinc (Zn) sorption capacity of the biochars derived from apple wood (WB) and rice straw (RB) feedstocks at two 300 and 600°C pyrolysis temperatures (WB300, WB600, RB300 and RB600, respectively) in aqueous solutions. Kinetic and equilibrium sorption experiments were conducted via batch technique. In equilibrium adsorption experiments, the study used the concentration range of 5-200 mg Zn L− 1 and focused on the solution pH effect on Zn adsorption in biochars under the following conditions: unadjusted and adjusted pH (4 and 6) and three ionic strength levels (0.01, 0.03, 0.1 M KNO3). Zinc desorption experiments were conducted under all above mentioned conditions but without pH adjustment at five separate stages. Kinetic data analysis indicated that Zn adsorption in biochars reached the near steady state within 24 hours with the sorption rate order of WB300 < WB600 < RB300 < RB600. The best fitness was superior to both Elovich and exponential rate models. Also, Zn adsorption isotherms in the studied biochars were shown to fit quite well to Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich models. Zn sorption maxima were found to be 4.3, 16.4, 17.9 and 33.3 mg g− 1, on average, for WB300, WB600, RB300, and RB600, respectively. The initial increased pH solution from 4 to 6 caused an increase in Zn adsorption in RB600, RB300 and WB600, however the sorption maxima in WB300 was detected at pH 4. The rise in solution ionic strength from 0.01 M to 0.1 M dropped the Zn adsorption capacity in all the studied biochars. Findings suggested that rice straw derived biochars showed a better performance than woody biochars in Zn sorption and retention from aqueous solutions. In addition, this ability increased with increasing pyrolysis temperature in both types of biochars. Finally, the study revealed that rice straw biochars, produced at high pyrolysis temperatures, can serve as economical and efficient absorbents for Zn removal from aqueous solutions.
Removal of hexavalent chromium from aqueous solutions using barks of Acacia albida and leaves of Euclea schimperi