The effects of picolinic acid and pH on the adsorption of Cu(II) by activated carbon fibers Original Research Article

The adsorption characteristics of Cu(II) on activated carbon fibers (ACFs) from simulated wastewater was investigated in the picolinic acid concentration range from 0.15 to 15 mM by varying pH from 2 to 8. When pH is below 4, the removal fraction of Cu(II) ions decreased with the decrease of pH. The removal fraction of Cu(II) ions is almost constant above pH 4. The removal efficiency of Cu(II) ions increased as the molar ratio of picolinic acid to Cu(II), specific surface area of ACFs and pH of the solution increased. In the case of [Pic]/[Cu(II)]=10, complete adsorption of Cu(II) was performed on ACF, even at pH 2.