Application of a Low-Cost Cellulose-Based Bioadsorbent for the Effective Recovery of Terbium Ions from Aqueous Solutions

Abstract

The preparation of a low-cost cellulose-based bioadsorbent from cellulosic material extracted from rose stems (CRS) was carried out; rose stems are considered agricultural waste. After the required pretreatment of this waste and further treatment with an acidic mixture of acetic and nitric acids, the CRS product was produced. The resulting bioadsorbent was characterized by several techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, which revealed diffraction maxima related to the cellulose structure, whose calculated crystallinity index (CrI) was 75%. In addition, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) showed signs of acetylation of the sample. The thermal properties of the solid were also evaluated through Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed cellulose fibers before and after the adsorption process, and some particles with irregular shapes were also observed. The CRS bioadsorbent was used for the effective adsorption of valuable Tb(III) from an aqueous solution. The adsorption data showed a good fit to the Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models; however, chemisorption was not ruled out. Finally, desorption experiments revealed the recovery of terbium ions with an efficiency of 97% from the terbium-loaded bioadsorbent.

The Chemical Characterisation of the Maritime Pine Bark Cultivated in Northern Portugal

“…Crude cellulose: Of the different cellulose determination methods proposed in the literature, the one involving a mixture of acetic acid and nitric acid has the advantage of being chlorine-free, reducing the environmental impact associated with that compound. Furthermore, this methodology has the advantage of being able to achieve a high degree of delignification and removal of noncellulose polysaccharides in a single-step procedure [88]. Based on the method described by Sun et al (2004) [89], to 0.5 g of pine bark sample, 50 mL of an 80% acetic acid/70% nitric acid mixture (v/v, 10:1) was added in a reflux flask.…”

Application of Activated Carbon Obtained from Spent Coffee Ground Wastes to Effective Terbium Recovery from Liquid Solutions

“…This effect is important in adsorption processes because of the influences of the solution pH on the surface charge of the adsorbent and also on the species that the adsorbate will form in the solution. In the case of terbium, only Tb 3+ exists under acidic conditions and with near neutral pH values [34]. Consequently, in this investigation the pH value was varied from 5 towards more acidic values.…”

Rare Earth Elements Uptake by Synthetic Polymeric and Cellulose-Based Materials: A Review

“…On the other hand, carboxylated cellulose captures up to 25 and 33 mg/g Tb (III) and La (III), which could also suggest selectivity toward light REEs [ 88 , 89 ]. Interestingly, when carboxylated cellulose is on the nanoscale, the capture capacity for La (III) increases considerably, up to 100 mg/g [ 90 ].…”