Journal of the Korean Society of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineers ISSN:2288-0291(Print) 2288-2790(Online) 한국자원공학회지

Adsorption characteristics of cupric ion from aqueous solutions have been examined with an inorganic adsorbent, gamma-alumina. BET surface area, pore volume and mean pore diameter of gamma-alumina used in the work were 142.7 m2 / gr, 0.965 ml / gr and 216.7 ? respectively and the effect of cations and anions, ionic strength and pH on the adsorption of cupric ion were tested. Among Na+ , K +, Ca2+ and Mg2+ , the interference of K + with the adsorption of cupric ion was not significant while that of the others was found to be nearly identical and the increase of ionic strength resulted in the decrease of adsorption of cupric ion. Adsorption isotherm of cupric ion was in good agreement with the Freundlich equation, which meant that the adsorption of cupric ion was predominated by physisorption. The adsorption of sulfate ion was found to be about 1.5 times that of cupric ion when sulfate ion was employed as anion in aqueous solution. Accordingly, the anion as well as the cation in a solution was believed to play an important role in the adsorption of cupric ion on gamma-alumina.