Premium
Desorption of cadmium from algal biosorbent
Author(s) -
Aldor Ilana,
Fourest Eric,
Volesky Bohumil
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
the canadian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1939-019X
pISSN - 0008-4034
DOI - 10.1002/cjce.5450730412
Subject(s) - desorption , cadmium , chemistry , elution , sorption , metal , adsorption , chromatography , stoichiometry , analytical chemistry (journal) , nuclear chemistry , organic chemistry
Desorption of metal‐laden new biosorbent material was studied using batch and column equilibrium elution processes. Equilibrium screening tests of cadmium desorption established a solution of HC1 as the most appropriate eluant at approximately pH 1.0. The desorption of Cd by protons was indicated to be a reversible exchange with a stoichiometric coefficient of 1.24. The solid to liquid ratio (biosorbent mass to elutant volume) is described as a key parameter in determination of elution efficiency, affecting simultaneously the pH at desorption equilibrium, the concentration of cadmium released, and the concentration ratio of the overall metal recovery process. When the pH is maintained constant, the solid to liquid ratio has little influence on metal recovery but still controls the concentration ratio. Recycling a small amount of eluant through a desorption column with metal‐laden biosorbent material resulted in very high solid‐to‐liquid ratios (up to 130 g/L) leading to high value of 70 for the metal concentration ratio of the sorption/desorption process. No loss of cadmium biosorbent properties was observed in three consecutive metal uptake/desorption cycles.