Investigation for Fixed-Bed-Column Adsorption of Nickel Using Cellulose/Chitosan/Fe3O4

A fixed-bed column adsorption was studied for removal of nickel ions using cellulose/chitosan/Fe3O4 material. Different parameters of breakthrough and exhaustion points (e.g., breakthrough time (t(b)), breakthrough volume (V-b), exhaustion time (t(e)), exhaustion volume (V-e)) could be calculated from the breakthrough curve featured in fixed-bed column study. The effects of bed height, flow rate, and inlet nickel ion concentration were tested to evaluate column adsorption performance. It was indicated that different parameters of breakthrough and exhaustion points (e.g., t(b), t(e), V-b, V-e) of the column increase with increasing column bed height, reducing flow rate and inlet metal ion concentration. Also, the fixed-bed column adsorption of nickel ions was also evaluated by the analysis different theoretical models: the Adams-Bohart, Thomas, and Yoon-Nelson models. Thomas' model and Yoon-Nelson model were predicted to be in good agreement with higher R-2 (near 1) and closer experimental and theoretical uptake capacity values. The maximum uptake capacity (q(o)) calculated by the Thomas model is equal to 29.70 mmol/g at a flow rate of 33.3 mL/min, an inlet concentration of 80 mg/L, and a bed height of 20 cm. The column desorption was studied to indicate effectively desorbing the adsorbed nickel ions, suggesting the reusable capability of cellulose/chitosan/Fe3O4 materials in the removal of nickel. Cellulose/chitosan/Fe3O4 material had the ability to regenerate five times.