Kinetics, equilibrium and thermodynamics of the sorption of tetrabromobisphenol A on multiwalled carbon nanotubes

Abstract Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is widely used as a flame retardant and is relatively persistent in the environment. This study reports the sorption kinetics, equilibrium and thermodynamics of TBBPA on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The equilibrium sorption capacity has been significantly improved by increasing the initial TBBPA concentration and contact time. In alkaline conditions and at high temperatures, a large reduction of TBBPA uptake was observed. The equilibrium between TBBPA and MWCNTs was achieved in approximately 60 min with removal of 96% of the TBBPA. The sorption kinetics were well described by a pseudo-second-order rate model, while both Langmuir and Freundlich models described the sorption isotherms well at different temperatures. Thermodynamic parameters suggested that the sorption of TBBPA is exothermic and spontaneous at the temperatures studied.