Autori: Daniela Simina Stefan, Mircea Stefan and Danut Ionel Ionel Vaireanu

Editorial: Review Roumain de Chimie, 51(6), p.541-546, 2006.

Rezumat:

Chemical modeling of metal biosorption requires the characterization of biomass used as sorbent. The (local) structural environment of Cu(II) and Zn(II) sorbed on corn cobs biomass has been investigated by secondary electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The IR spectrum obtained for the above said biomass render a complex nature of the corn cobs biomass. Despite this complexity some characteristic peaks may be identified and assigned, revealing the presence of hydroxyl, carboxyl, carbonyl and amino functional groups in the structure of investigated biomass. The paper also deals with studies of physical and biochemical properties of the sorbent: bulk density, apparent density, surface area, iodine number, CEC. From biomass characterization a possible mechanism of biosorption is suggested. The sorption experiments were carried out at a pH of 5.5 and low and high ionic strength in a 0.01M Na2SO4 solution. The results showed a high capacity of corn cobs with respect to the removal of the investigated metals cations.

Cuvinte cheie: removal of ions, copper, zinc