@article{
author = "Milićević, Sonja and Vlahović, Milica and Kragović, Milan and Martinović, Sanja and Milošević, Vladan and Jovanović, Ivana and Stojmenović, Marija",
year = "2020",
abstract = "The intent in this paper is to define how the batch equilibrium results of copper removal from a synthetic solution on natural zeolite can be used for prediction of the breakthrough curves in the fixed-bed system for both a synthetic solution and wastewater. Natural zeolite from the Vranjska Banja deposit, Serbia, has been fully characterized (XRD, chemical composition, DTA/TG, SEM/EDS) as a clinoptilolite with cation exchange capacity of 146 meq/100 g. The maximum adsorption capacity (qm) in the batch of the mono-component system (synthetic copper solution) obtained using the Langmuir isotherm model was 7.30 and 6.10 mg/g for particle size below 0.043 and 0.6–0.8 mm, respectively. Using the flow-through system with the 0.6–0.8 mm zeolite fixed-bed, almost double the adsorption capacity (11.2–12.2 mg/g) has been achieved in a saturation point for the copper removal from the synthetic solution, compared to the batch. Better results are attributed to the constant high concentration gradient in flow-through systems compared to the batch. The complex composition of wastewater and large amounts of earth alkaline metals disturb free adsorption sights on the zeolite surface. This results in a less effective adsorption in flow-through systems with adsorption capacity in breakthrough point of 5.84 mg/g (~0.95 × qm) and in a saturation point of 7.10 mg/g (~1.15 × qm).",
publisher = "MDPI",
journal = "Minerals",
title = "Removal of Copper from Mining Wastewater Using Natural Raw Material—Comparative Study between the Synthetic and Natural Wastewater Samples",
volume = "10",
number = "9",
pages = "753",
doi = "10.3390/min10090753"
}