Abstract

In this study, for the first time the potential use of activated carbon provided from Tamarix hispida (ACTH) to remove Zn(II) from wastewater was investigated by considering parameter optimization, reusability, equilibrium, kinetic, and thermodynamic aspects. The ACTH was mesoporous adsorbent with a specific surface area of 1006 m2/g. The main parameters in the adsorption process including pH, contact time and Zn(II) concentration, adsorbent dose, mixing rate, and temperature were considered. Over 95 of 70 mg/L Zn(II) was adsorbed using 10 g/L ACTH at the solution pH of 6. The Zn(II) adsorption onto ACTH increased from 93.2 to 98.33 by increasing the solution temperature from 10 to 50°C. The ACTH was more efficient than the standard activated carbon. The results showed that the equilibrium adsorption of Zn(II) onto ACTH were well described by the Langmuir model. According to this model, the maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 246.4 mg/g. The nonlinear kinetic data were best fitted to the pseudo-second order model. The ACTH had acceptable performance after 4 times recycling. The suitability of ACTH in the treatment at field conditions was investigated with an industrial wastewater samples collected from a local plating wastewater. Based on the study's results, the ACTH was shown to be an affordable and a promising option for adsorbing zinc ions from wastewaters. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.