Removal of zinc metal ion (Zn2+) from its aqueous solution by kaolin clay mineral: A kinetic and equilibrium study

A laboratory batch study has been performed to study the effect of various physic-chemical factors such as initial metal ion concentration, solution pH, and amount of adsorbent, contact time and temperature on the adsorption characteristics of zinc (Zn2+) metal ions onto kaolin. It has been found that the amount of adsorption of zinc metal ion increases with initial metal ion concentration, contact time, solution pH but decreases with the amount of adsorbent and temperature of the system. Kinetic experiments clearly indicate that adsorption of zinc metal ion (Zn2+) on kaolin is a two steps process: a very rapid adsorption of zinc metal ion to the external surface is followed by possible slow decreasing intra-particle diffusion in the interior of the adsorbent which has also been confirmed by intra-particle diffusion model. The equilibrium time is found to be in the order of 60 min. Overall the kinetic studies showed that the zinc adsorption process followed pseudo-second-order kinetics among pseudo-first-order and intra-particle diffusion model. The different kinetic parameters including rate constant are determined at different initial metal ion concentration, solution pH, amount of adsorbent and temperature respectively. The equilibrium adsorption results are analyzed by both Langmuir and Freundlich models to determine the mechanistic parameters associated with the adsorption process. The value of separation factor, RL from Langmuir equation also gives an indication of favorable adsorption. Finally thermodynamic parameters are determined at three different temperatures and it has been found that the adsorption process is exothermic due to negative ΔH° accompanied by decrease in entropy change and Gibbs free energy change (ΔG°).