Abstract
Alginate encapsulated nano-hydroxyapatite beads were synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface analysis, and X-ray diffraction. Their adsorptive potential for Ni2+ and rhodamine B was explored in batch mode and by fixed-bed column passage. In the batch system, maximum uptake capacity for Ni2+ was 360 mg g−1 and 480 mg g−1 for rhodamine B. In the presence of humic acid, sorption was enhanced. For the continuous-flow system, adsorption was effective at low flow rate. For both pollutants, mass transport resistance increased during adsorption. The overall rates of rhodamine B and Ni2+ uptake were found to be controlled by external mass transfer.
Acknowledgments
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