Adsorption of Cu(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) ions by nano kaolinite: Thermodynamics and kinetics studies

An easy route for preparation emulsion of kaolinite (Al2Si2O5.4H2O) from Sweileh sand deposits, west Amman, Jordan by hydrochloric acid under continuous stirring for 4h at room temperature was performed and nano kaolinite powder was used as an adsorbent for the removal of Cu(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II) ions. Nano kaolinite was characterized by XRD, FT-IR and SEM techniques. Effect of pH, adsorbent dose, initial metal ion concentration, contact time and temperature on adsorption process was examined. The negative values of ΔGo and the positive value of ΔHo revealed that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. The Langmuir isotherm model fitted well to metal ions adsorption data and the adsorption capacity. The kinetic data provided the best correlation of the adsorption with pseudo-second order kinetic model. In view of promising efficiency, the nano kaolinite can be employed for heavy metal ions adsorption