Removal of nickel and copper ions from aqueous solutions by means of hybrid electrosorption/electrodialyssis process

Abstract

The hybrid adsorption/electrodialysis process was shown to be effective in the removal of Ni and Cu ions from aqueous solutions imitating electroplating effluents. Adsorption of the ions on the cation-exchange and amphoteric resins packed in the desalination compartment of the electrodialysis cell with (electrosorption) and without the influence of electrical current was studied. In the case of the ion-saturation operation carried out before the electrosorption process, no direct relationship between the type of resin and the ion-removal efficiency was found; the process performance was affected by over-equivalent adsorption resulting from electrochemical reactions taking place in the boundary layer between the resin and the solution. Under the influence of electrical current as high as sixfold higher metal ion extraction than in a conventional adsorption process was observed. The presence of ionexchange resins in the desalination compartment also affected the performance of ion-exchange membranes used in the cell. The method was found more applicable to Cu containing solutions.

Authors

Categories