Removal of Mo(VI) from aqueous solutions using sulfuric acid-modified cinder: kinetic and thermodynamic studies

Removal of Mo(VI) from aqueous solutions was investigated using cinder modified by sulfuric acid. Various parameters such as pH, agitation time, Mo(VI) concentration, and temperature have been studied. The maximum adsorption of Mo(VI) occurred at pH between 4.0 and 6.0. Kinetic studies showed that the adsorption generally obeyed a pseudo second-order model. The activation energy was 31.4 kJ mol(-1), indicating that the adsorption process was governed mainly by interactions of physical nature. Furthermore, application of Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models to the adsorption equilibrium data showed that the adsorption behavior obeyed the Langmuir model. The adsorption capacity was found to be 10.8 g Mo(VI) kg(-1) adsorbent. Finally, thermodynamic parameters such as Delta H-0, Delta S-0, and Delta G(0) were also evaluated, which showed that the adsorption of Mo(VI) on the treated cinder was endothermic, entropy increasing, and spontaneous. In conclusion, the sulfuric acid-modified cinder was shown to be an inexpensive, effective, and simple adsorbent for the removal of Mo(VI) from water.