Kinetic and equilibrium studies of the removal of ammonium ions from aqueous solution by rice husk ash-synthesized zeolite Y and powdered and granulated forms of mordenite.

The removal of ammonium from aqueous solutions using zeolite NaY prepared from a local agricultural waste, rice husk ash waste was investigated and a naturally occurring zeolite mordenite in powdered and granulated forms was used as comparison. Zeolite NaY and mordenite were well characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and the total cation exchange capacity (CEC). CEC of the zeolites were measured as 3.15, 1.46 and 1.34 meq g(-1) for zeolite Y, powdered mordenite and granular mordenite, respectively. Adsorption kinetics and equilibrium data for the removal of NH(4)(+) ions were examined by fitting the experimental data to various models. Kinetic studies showed that the adsorption followed a pseudo-second-order reaction. The equilibrium pattern fits well with the Langmuir isotherm compared to the other isotherms. The monolayer adsorption capacity for zeolite Y (42.37 mg/g) was found to be higher than that powdered mordenite (15.13 mg/g) and granular mordenite (14.56 mg/g). Thus, it can be concluded that the low cost and economical rice husk ash-synthesized zeolite NaY could be a better sorbent for ammonium removal due to its rapid adsorption rate and higher adsorption capacity compared to natural mordenite.

Citation

Alias Mohd Yusof, Lee Kian Keat, Zaharah Ibrahim, Zaiton Abdul Majid, Nik Ahmad Nizam. Kinetic and equilibrium studies of the removal of ammonium ions from aqueous solution by rice husk ash-synthesized zeolite Y and powdered and granulated forms of mordenite. Journal of hazardous materials. 2010 Feb 15;174(1-3):380-5

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PMID: 19879040

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