Sugarcane bagasse has been used as a substrate for the development of microporous nano-activated carbons for the treatment and elimination of dissolved materials from aquatic environment. The activated carbon was produced using chemical activation in one-step method with zinc chloride ( ZnCl2) as the activating agent at a carbonization temperatures range from 500 to 900 °C. The effects of temperature and time of carbonization on the activated carbon product properties were thoroughly studied. The activated carbons that resulted were characterized using the N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method (BET), pore property analysis, micropore (MP) surface area, t-plot surface area, TGA, FTIR, SEM, TEM, and EDX analyses. The prepared activated carbon’s point of zero charge, Boehm titration process, iodine removal percentage, and methylene blue number were also investigated. The prepared activated carbon’s maximum surface area was achieved using a 2/1 impregnation ratio (dried sugarcane bagasse/ZnCl2) at 600 °C temperature of carbonization and 60 min residence time. 1402.2 m2/ g, 0.6214 and 1.41 cm3/ g, respectively, were the largest surface area, total pore volume, and micropore volume. As the activation temperature increased, the total pore volume increased and the BET study measured a pore diameter of 0.7 nm and a mean pore diameter of 1.77 nm.

2 (Langmuir, Freundlich, Elovich, Temkin, and Dubinin-Radushkevich) and 3 (Sips and Redlich-Peterson)-parameter isotherm models were applied to evaluated for the applicability of adsorption of Cu(II) and/or phosphate isotherm using chitosan bead. Non-linear and linear isotherm adsorption were also compared on each parameter with coefficient of determination (R2). Among 2-parameter isotherms, non-linear Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm showed relatively higher R2 and appropriate maximum uptake (qm) than other isotherm equation although linear Dubinin-Radushkevich obtained highest R2. 3-parameter isotherm model demonstrated more reasonable and accuracy results than 2-parmeter isotherm in both non-linear and linear due to the addition of one parameter. The linearization for all of isotherm equation did not increase the applicability of adsorption models when error experiment data was included.

We study and describe-from the point of view of the interactions of the adsorbed particles-three types of the adsorption isotherms, namely, Langmuir type adsorption isotherms, phase transition type adsorption isotherms, and adsorption limited type adsorption isotherms, which are observed by experiments. By introducing and using a one dimensional statistical occupancy model, we derived analytical adsorption isotherms for the no force, the attractive force, and the repulsive force exerted on the other adsorbed particles. Our derived adsorption isotherms qualitatively pretty well agree with the experimental results of the adsorption isotherms. To specify each adsorption type, Langmuir type adsorption is a phenomenon that occurs with no forces between the adsorbed particles, phase transition type adsorption is a phenomenon that occurs with the strong attractive forces between the adsorbed particles, and adsorption limited type adsorption is a phenomenon that occurs with the repulsive forces between the adsorbed particles. The theoretical analysis-only using fundamental thermodynamics and occupancy statistics though-qualitatively quite well explains the experimental results.

In order to capture the indoor CO₂ gas from public indoor spaces, a commercial zeolite(4A) was modified with alkali metals useful for adsorption. The prepared sorbents showed somewhat improved adsorption capacity. A few isotherm models were reviewed to characterize the adsorption mechanism of test sorbents. Sips model was found the most appropriate for low level indoor CO₂ adsorption, but revealed a significant error in low pressure regimes and required numerical analysis for quantitative evaluation. Thus, a parameter(qm) in the equation was empirically recorrelated with a operation temperature. As a result, the final model equation including a simple linear function presented less errors for evaluation of the potential capacity of adsorption.

The adsorption of phenolic compound resorcinol on activated carbons prepared from Moringa oleifera (Drumstick bark) has been investigated. Activated carbon was prepared by impregnating Moringa oleifera with 50% phosphoric acid in the ratio of 1:1 and 1:2(w/w), designated as MOAC1 and MOAC2. Equilibrium and isotherm studies were carried out. The influences of variables such as contact time, initial concentration of resorcinol, carbon dosage in the solution on percentage adsorption and adsorption capacity of the bark have been analysed. The equilibration time was found to be 4 h. Kinetics of resorcinol onto activated carbons was checked for pseudo first order and pseudo second order model. It was found that the adsorption of resorcinol follows pseudo second order kinetics for both MOAC1 and MOAC2. The isotherm data were correlated with isotherm models, namely Langmuir and Freundlich. Adsorption isotherms were satisfactorily fitted by both the Langmuir and Freundlich model for MOAC1 and MOAC2.

Zeolite material having XRD peaks of Na-A zeolite in the 2θ range of 7.18 to 34.18 can be synthesized from the waste catalyst using a fusion/hydrothermal method. The adsorption rate of Mn ions by a commercial Na-A zeolite and the synthesized zeolitic material increased as the adsorption temperature increased in the range of 10 ~ 40℃. The adsorption of Mn ion were very rapid in the first 30 min and then reached to the equilibrium state after approximately 60 min. The adsorption kinetics of Mn ions by the commercial Na-A zeolite and the zeolitic material were found to be well fitted to the pseudo-2nd order kinetic model. Equilibrium data by the commercial Na-A zeolite and the zeolitic material fit the Langmuir, Koble-Corrigan, and Redlich-Peterson isotherm models well rather than Freundlich isotherm model. The removal capacity of the Mn ions by the commercial Na-A zeolite and the zeolitic material obtained from the Langmuir model was 135.2 mg/g and 128.9 mg/g at 30℃, respectively. The adsorption capacity of Mn ions by the synthesized zeolitic material was almost similar to that of commercial Na-A zeolite. The synthesized zeolitic material could be applied as an economically feasible commercial adsorbent.

In this study, zeolite (Z-C2) was synthesized using a fusion/hydrothermal method on coal fly ash (FA) discharged from a thermal power plant in the Ulsan area and then analyzed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The Z-C2 was characterized in terms of mineralogical composition and morphological analysis. The XRD results showed that its peaks had the characteristics of Na-A zeolite in the range of 2θ of 7.18~34.18. The SEM images confirmed that the Na-A zeolite crystals had a chamfered-edge crystal structure almost identical to that of the commercial zeolite. The adsorption kinetics of Cu, Co, Mn and Zn ions by Z-C2 were described better by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model more than by the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The Langmuir model fitted the adsorption isotherm data better than the Freundlich model did. The maximum adsorption capacities of Cu, Co, Mn and Zn ions obtained from the Langmuir model were in the following order : Cu (94.7 mg/g) > Co (77.7 mg/g) > Mn (57.6 mg/g) > Zn (51.1 mg/g). These adsorption capacities are regarded as excellent compared to those of commercial zeolite.

The adsorption characteristics of Sr ions and Cs ions in single and binary solution by zeolite A were investigated in batch experiment. The adsorption rate of Sr ions and Cs ions by zeolite A obeyed pseudo-second-order kinetic model in single and binary solution. The initial adsorption rates (h) and adsorption capacities of both ions obtained from pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and the values were decreased with increasing concentration of the competitive ions (0~1.5 mM). Also, adsorption isotherm data in binary solution were well fitted to the extended Langmuir model, the maximum adsorption capacities of Sr and Cs calculated from the model were 1.78 mmol/g and 1.64 mmol/g, respectively. The adsorption of Sr and Cs ions by zeolite A was carried out in the presence of other cations such as Na+, K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+. The results showed that the zeolite A can maintain a relatively high adsorption capacity for Sr and Cs ions and exhibits a high selectivity in the presence of competitive cations. The effect of competition had an order of Ca2+>K+>Mg2+>Na+ for Sr ions and K+>Ca2+>Na+>Mg2+ for Cs ions at the same cation concentration.