Abstract

AGUILAR-GONZALEZ, Miguel A.; GOROKHOVSKY, Alexander V.; AGUILAR-ELGUEZABAL, Alfredo  and  ESCALANTE-GARCIA, José I.. Removal of lead from aqueous solutions by potassium titanates doped with silica. Rev. Int. Contam. Ambient [online]. 2009, vol.25, n.3, pp.125-132. ISSN 0188-4999.

This paper is related to elimination of Pb²⁺ ions from aqueous solutions by adsorption in potassium tetratitanate doped with silica. The adsorbent was prepared in the form of granules with pastes of potassium polytitanate (45 %), powdered Pyrex® glass (5 %) and potato starch (50 %), which were extruded and thermally treated at 1100 °C. The structural characteristic of the granulated adsorbent allows reducing the Pb concentration, from the solutions eluted through an adsorption column, to levels below the requirement of national standards. The effects of the time of saturation of the adsorbent and the pH of the solution were also investigated on the effectiveness of the adsorption of Pb. The mechanism of lead adsorption, by the developed adsorbent, is considered as a combination of adsorption, ion-exchange and co-precipitation processes. It is also shown that the lead-saturated adsorbent could be utilized to produce high-strength non-dangerous ceramic materials.

Keywords : adsorbent; potassium titanate; silica; lead; remotion.