Plate column adsorption of Pb(II) from industrial wastewater on sponge-type composite adsorbent: Optimization and application

A sponge-type composite adsorbent xanthate-modified chitosan @ titanate nanotubes ([email protected]) was prepared via a simple and low-cost procedure, and its adsorption capacity was evaluated in batch and continuous plate column systems. The three-dimensional network macroporous structure made it easy to separate from the solution and suitable for the column-based treatment. The excellent adsorption capacity of Pb(II) was as high as 342.47 mg/g and could be obtained in wide ranges of pH and temperature. Interestingly, [email protected] exhibited outstanding selectivity for Pb(II) rather than other divalent heavy metal ions. Adsorption mechanism was elucidated by the FTIR and XPS analyses. The column adsorption results indicated that the treatment effect was proportional to bed height and inversely to flow rate and influent concentration. [email protected] was remarkably effective in the removal of Pb(II) from actual industrial effluents to meet the discharge requirements and contributed to the recovery of Pb(II). The treatment volumes of simulated actual battery wastewater and smelting effluent by 2.40 g [email protected] were as high as 6360 and 49584 mL for Pb(II) with the concentration of 30.55 and 4.49 mg/L, respectively. This work developed a highly practical process for removing heavy metal ions from practical wastewaters.