Removal of copper ions using sodium hexadecanoate by ionic flocculation

•The anionic surfactant sodium hexadecanoate was used to remove copper ions by ionic flocculation.•The removal process is governed by the Kraft temperature of the surfactant.•The Kraft point was a limiting factor for the removal process occurs.•Sodium hexadecanoate showed to be efficient in the remo...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Separation and purification technology 2018-07, Vol.200, p.294-299
Main Authors: Carvalho Barros, Giselle Kalline Gomes, Melo, Ricardo Paulo Fonseca, Barros Neto, Eduardo Lins de
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:•The anionic surfactant sodium hexadecanoate was used to remove copper ions by ionic flocculation.•The removal process is governed by the Kraft temperature of the surfactant.•The Kraft point was a limiting factor for the removal process occurs.•Sodium hexadecanoate showed to be efficient in the removal of copper, around 95%. The mining, electroplating, and electronics industries release increasing amounts of heavy metals, such as copper, into aquatic ecosystems. Industrial effluent often contains metals at concentrations above the maximum limits set by law. In this study, ionic flocculation using the anionic surfactant sodium hexadecanoate is shown to be an alternative method for the removal of copper from industrial effluent. The effects of temperature, metal solution pH, and surfactant concentration on copper removal were analyzed using experimental design techniques. A statistical experimental design of the study showed that the process is directly dependent on the variations in the pH and molar ratio between sodium hexadecanoate and copper ions (Cu2+) but inversely proportional (and less dependent) on the temperature. An individual study of the temperature effect shows that the process is strongly dependent on the Krafft temperature of both surfactants, i.e., that used as the extractive agent and that obtained after the reaction of the surfactant with the metal. Subsequently, the thermodynamic parameters were determined, which showed that the process is spontaneous and either endothermic or exothermic depending on the temperature range.
ISSN:1383-5866
1873-3794
DOI:10.1016/j.seppur.2018.01.062