Adsorption behavior of ytterbium (III) on gel-type weak acid resin

The adsorption and desorption behaviors of Yb(III) on gel-type weak acid resin (110) were investigated. The influence of operational conditions such as contact time, initial concentration of Yb(III), initial pH of solution and temperature on the adsorption of Yb(III) were also examined. The results showed that the optimal adsorption condition of 110 resin for Yb(III) was achieved at pH=5.5 in HAc-NaAc medium. The maximum uptake capacity of Yb(III) was 265.8 mg/g at 298 K. Yb(III) could be eluted by using 3.0 mol/L HCl solution and the 110 resin could be regenerated and reused. The adsorption of Yb(III) followed the Langmuir isotherm, and the correlation coefficients were evaluated. Various thermodynamic parameters such as standard enthalpy change (ΔH), standard entropy change (ΔS) and standard free energy change (ΔG) were evaluated. The adsorption of Yb(III) on the 110 resin was found to be endothermic in nature. Thomas model was successfully applied to experimental data to predict the breakthrough curves and to determine the characteristics parameters of the column useful for process design. And the resin sample both before and after adsorption was described by IR spectroscopy.