Adsorption of Cu, Cd, Zn and Pb Ions from Aqueous Solutions by Electric Arc Furnace Slag and the Effects of pH and Grain Size

X. Chen, W. H. Hou, G. L. Song and Q. Wang

Abstract
The study was carried out to investigate the adsorption kinetics and equilibrium of four heavy metal ions (Cu2+, Cd2+, Zn2+ and Pb2+) on two kinds of electric arc furnace slag (EAF slag). The adsorption capacity of the Shougang slag (SG slag) is more than that of the Baoshan slag (BS slag). The metal adsorption on the EAF slag is more akin to the first-order kinetic model. Experimental data confirmed that Freundlich model was better in describing the metal adsorption on SG slag, while Langmuir model was more applicable for BS slag. The adsorption of metal ions increased with the pH value and reached a maximum at a 7 value for the Zn2+ and Pb2+ adsorption on SG slag. The decrease of grain size could enhance the adsorption of metal ions. The results established the potential use of EAF slag as costly adsorbents for heavy metal from contaminated wastewaters.

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Keywords
EAF slag, Heavy metal ions, adsorption, pH effect, grain size