Adsorption equilibrium of copper ion and phenol by powdered activated carbon, alginate bead and alginate-activated carbon bead

The adsorption equilibrium characteristics for single and binary components of copper ion and phenol onto powdered activated carbon, alginate bead and alginate-activated carbon (AAC) bead were studied. Adsorption equilibrium data of phenol and copper ion onto the adsorbents could be represented by Langmuir equation. The adsorption capacity of Cu2+ onto different adsorbents was in the following order: alginate bead > AAC bead > powdered activated carbon (PAC). On the other hand, that of phenol was: PAC > AAC bead > alginate bead. Multi-component equilibrium data were correlated by three different models. Among them the ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST) gave the best fit to our data. And the adsorption amount of Cu2+ onto AAC bead was greater than that of phenol in the binary components.