Abstract
Cross-linked membrane of zirconium tri-ethylene tetra-amine (ZrTETA-55) was prepared by sol-gel method using poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in aqueous media for selective separation of Cu
2+
. Developed ZrTETA-55 hybrid membrane exhibited good thermal, mechanical, and chemical stabilities, which are essential parameters for its durability. ZrTETA-55 hybrid membrane was used as an adsorbent for selective adsorption of Cu
2+
, and the effect of time, temperature, pH, adsorbent dose, and adsorbate concentration were investigated. The adsorption process followed the pseudo-first and pseudo-second-order kinetic models which were also evaluated. The equilibrium adsorption obeyed the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG°, ΔH°, and ΔS° were calculated. From thermodynamic data, it was found that the adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous. The maximum adsorption of Cu
2+
ions was found to be ∼74% at pH 7 and indicated that the developed material could be effectively utilized for the selective separation of Cu
2+
in the presence of other bi-valent ions in industrial effluents.
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