Zeolite (FZ) prepared using coal fly ash from an Ulsan industrial complex was immobilized with polysulfone (PS) to fabricate PS-FZ beads. The prepared PS-FZ beads were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The optimum ratio for preparing PS-FZ beads was 1 g of PS to 2 g of FZ. The removal efficiencies of Sr and Cu ions by the PS-FZ beads increased as the solution pH increased and nearly reached a plateau at pH 4. A pseudo-second-order model morel fit the adsorption kinetics of both ions by the PS-FZ beads better than a pseudo-first-order model. The Langmuir isotherm model fit the equilibrium data well. The maximum adsorption capacities calculated from the Langmuir isotherm model were 46.73 mg/g and 62.54 mg/g for the Sr and Cu ions, respectively. Additionally, the values of thermodynamic parameters such as free energy (ΔG˚), enthalpy (ΔH˚) and entropy (ΔS˚) were determined. The results implied that the prepared PS-FZ beads could be interesting an alternative material for Sr and Cu ion removal.

Zeolite (FZ), prepared from fly ash, was immobilized with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) to fabricate PAN/FZ beads. The prepared PAN/FZ beads were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The optimum ratio to prepare PAN/FZ beads was 0.3 g of PAN to 0.3 g of FZ. The diameter of the prepared PAN/FZ beads was about 3 mm. Sr and Cu ion adsorption experiments were conducted with PAN/FZ beads. A pseudo-second-order model fit the kinetic data for Sr and Cu ion adsorption by PAN/FZ beads well. The equilibrium data fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm model, and the maximum adsorption capacities were 96.5 mg/g and 74.6 mg/g for the Sr and Cu ions, respectively. Additionally, the values of thermodynamic parameters such as Gibbs free energy (ΔGo), enthalpy (ΔHo) and entropy (ΔSo) were determined. The positive values of ΔHo revealed the endothermic nature of the adsorption process and the negative values of ΔGo were indicative of the spontaneity of the adsorption process.

Zeolite was synthesized from power station waste, coal fly ash, as an alternative low-cost adsorbent and investigated for the removal of Sr(II) and Cs(I) ions from single- and binary metal aqueous solutions. In order to investigate the adsorption characteristics, the effects of various operating parameters such as initial concentration of metal ions, contact time, and pH of the solutions were studied in a batch adsorption technique. The Langmuir model better fitted the adsorption isotherm data than the Freundlich model. The pseudo second-order model was found more applicable to describe the kinetics of system. The adsorption capacities of Sr(II) and Cs(I) ions obtained from the Langmuir model were 1.7848 mmol/g and 0.7640 mmol/g, respectively. Although the adsorption capacities of individual Sr(II) and Cs(I) ions was less in the binary-system, the sum of the total adsorption capacity (2.3572 mmol/g) of both ions in the binary-system was higher than the adsorption capacity of individual ion in the single-system. Comparing the homogeneous film diffusion model with the homogeneous particle diffusion model, the adsorption was mainly controlled by the particle diffusion process.

Na-A zeolite (Z-Cl) was synthesized from coal fly ash, which is a byproduct of coal combustion for the generation of electricity. The adsorption of Cu2+ and Zn2+ions onto Z-C1 was investigated via batch tests over a range of temperatures (303.15 to 323.15 K). The resultant experimental equilibrium data were compared to theoretical values calculated using model equations. With these results, the kinetics and equilibrium parameters of adsorption were calculated using Lagergren and Langmuir-Freundlich models. The adsorption kinetics revealed that the pseudo second-order kinetic mechanism is predominant. The maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) values were 139.0-197.9 mg Zn2+/g and 75.0-105.1 mg Cu2+/g. Calculation of the thermodynamic properties revealed that the absorption reactions for both Cu2+and Zn2+ were spontaneous and endothermic. Collectively, these results suggest that the synthesized zeolite, Z-C1, can potentially be used as an adsorbent for metal ion recovery during the treatment of industrial wastewater at high temperatures.

Zeolite 4A was synthesized by fusion method from coal fly ash discharged at the thermal power plants. The synthesized zeolite(FAZ) was characterized through particle size analyzer, XRD, XRF and SEM. N2 adsorption-desorption measurement was used to examine surface and pore structures. The adsorption experiments were carried out under dynamic conditions of trace SO2 in N2 to investigate SO2 adsorption capacity of FAZ. The experiments were conducted to characterize the breakthrough characteristics of SO2 in a fixed bed under different operating conditions including temperature(50-125℃), concentration of SO2(3000-10000 ppm) and FAZ with 4 kinds of commercial zeolite. The adsorption capacity of FAZ was 53.84 mgSO2/g adsorbent, larger than that of the same type commercial zeolite(WK4A).

The adsorption performance of cupper and zinc ions(Cu2+ and Zn2+) in aqueous solution was investigated by an adsorption process on reagent grade Na-A zeolite(Z-WK) and Na-A zeolite (Z-C1) prepared from coal fly ash. Z-C1 was synthesized by a fusion method with coal fly ash from a thermal power plant. Batch adsorption experiment with Z-C1 was employed to study the kinetics and equilibrium parameters such as initial metal ions concentration and adsorption time of the solution on the adsorption process. Adsorption rate of metal ions occurred rapidly and adsorption equilibrium reached at less than 120 minutes. The kinetics data of Cu2+ and Zn2+ ions were well fitted by a pseudo-second-order kinetics model more than a pseudo-first-order kinetics model. The equilibrium data were well fitted by a Langmuir model and this result showed Cu2+ and Zn2+ adsorption on Z-C1 would be occupied by a monolayer adsorption. The maximum adsorption capacity(qmax) by the Langmuir model was determined as Cu2+ 99.8 mg/g and Zn2+ 108.3 mg/g, respectively. It appeared that the synthetic zeolite, Z-C1, has potential application as absorbents in metal ion recovery and mining wastewater.