Removal of aqueous Ni(II) with carbonized leaf powder: Kinetics and equilibrium

Nickel is a heavy metal which has the potential threaten to human’s health and attracts public concern recently. The carbonized leaf powder is expected as suitable adsorbent for Ni(II) removal became of the composition of some beneficial groups. In this work, carbonized leaf powder was evaluated for its adsorption performance towards Ni(II). According to the results, adsorbent component, dosage, initial solute concentration, solution pH, temperature and contact time can significantly affect the efficiency of Ni(II) removal. Sips model fits the test results best, and the adsorption capacity towards Ni(II) is determined around 37.62 mg/g. The thermodynamic behaviors reveal the endothermic and spontaneous nature of the adsorption. The free adsorption energy (fluctuate around 8 kJ/mol) predicted by D-R model indicates that the adsorption capacity originated from both physical and chemical adsorption. Room temperature (15−25 °C) is suitable for Ni(II) removal as well as low energy consumption for temperature enhancement. Further conclusions about the mechanism of chemical adsorption are obtained through analysis of the FT-IR test and XRD spectra, which indicates that the adsorption process occurs predominantly between amine, carbonate, phosphate and nickel ions.