Preparation and Characterization of Modified Date Palm Trunk for Adsorption of Hg(II) from Aqueous Solutions

Abstract

The potential of ethylenediamine modified date plam trunk (MDPT) for the adsorption of Hg(II) from aqueous solutions. Factors influencing mercury(II) adsorption onto MDPT such as initial Hg(II) concentration (12.5-100 mg/L), pH (1-6), contact time (5-120 min), and adsorbent dosage (2.0-20.0 g/L) were investigated. The adsorption equilibrium was established within 120 min. Maximum adsorption of Hg(II) occurred at pH~5. Before and after adsorption, MDPT was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and in order to prove its Hg(II) adsorption capacity. The results show that the adsorption rate could be well fitted by pseudo-second-order rate model, and the adsorption isotherm data obeyed Langmuir model. The adsorption capacity for Hg(II) was found to be 29.25 mg/g. Evidently, the high efficiency and fast removal of mercury using MDPT suggest the synthesis of modified adsorbents with similar physical and chemical properties of MDPT as a valuable and promising wastewater treatment.