Evaluation of Zeolite Adsorption Properties for Cu(II) Removal from Acidic Aqueous Solutions in Fixed-Bed Column System

Abstract

The development of human society after 18th century is associated with metals. Technology of extraction and processing of heavy metals is essential for many areas of industry. Naturally, the extraction, processing and cleaning of impurities give the metals not only a new form, but also cause their intensive distribution in the environment, which represents a huge threat. Countries of the middle Europe, where extraction of mineral resources takes place a long period, have to solve the problems of mine wastewater. Finding of the new and cheap ways of these wastewater treatment can increase the quality of the environment in the affected areas. Sorption techniques belong to an effective and cost acceptable methods for remove of heavy metals from aqueous environment. The presented paper describes the adsorption behavior of Slovak natural zeolite in fixed-bed column system. In order to determine its applicability for mine drainage treatment, copper removal from model sulfuric acid solutions (pH 4) was studied.

Keywords

• zeolite
• sorption
• copper
• column