Innovative adsorption of lead and copper using recycled concrete in aqueous solutions
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Hiba Ferhat
,
Sihem Benaissa
Abstract
The main objective of this study was to investigate the potential use of concrete debris generated from construction and demolition waste at the Technical Landfill Centre (TLC) for eliminating copper and lead ions from synthetic solutions. To assess its suitability, the physicochemical characteristics of the debris were thoroughly examined, including its cation exchange capacity (CEC) and pH at the zero-charge point (pH PZC). Various characterization methods were employed, such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to predict the functional groups. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was applied to determine the crystalline structure of the materials and identify the phases present, while BET surface area analysis and scanning electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) were also used to gain a comprehensive understanding of the concrete debris. Key parameters evaluated included solution pH, initial metal ion concentration, adsorbent mass, stirring speed, and temperature, all analyzed to determine their influence on adsorption capacity. Optimal removal conditions were identified as pH 5.5 for lead and pH 5 for copper, with agitation speeds of 300 and 400 rpm, contact times of 20 and 15 min, and adsorbent masses of 0.3 and 0.4 g for copper and lead, respectively. Furthermore, A kinetic analysis of adsorption was conducted to identify the mechanisms of the process by fitting experimental data to various models. Additionally, different isotherms were utilized to accurately fit the equilibrium adsorption. The results indicate that adsorption is best represented by the Langmuir model. The use of thermodynamics in the removal process revealed that this procedure was endothermic and spontaneous.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to warmly thank Algeria’s Direction Générale de la Recherche Scientifique et du Développement Technologique (DGRSDT), part of the Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique (MESRS), for their invaluable support of this study. The authors also extend their heartfelt thanks to the Institute of Material Science at the University of Valencia and the University of Tlemcen for their valuable contributions and assistance throughout this research project.
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Research ethics: This research did not involve human participants or animals, and thus ethical approval was not required.
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Informed consent: Not applicable. This study did not involve human participants.
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Author contributions: Doctoral Mebarak-Haddad provided the debris samples. Doctoral student Ferhat H. carried out laboratory manipulations under the guidance of Dr. Mohammed-Azizi. Clara Maria Gomez carried out SEM/EDX, BET and DRX characterizations. Ghezlane Berrahou carried out the FTIR analyses. Dr Benaissa helped interpret FTIR, DRX and SEM characterization results. Dr Maachou drafted the article. Pr Lefkir and Pr Amrane performed a general reading of the manuscript and made modifications.
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Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: No AI, large language models, or machine learning tools were used in the development of this manuscript.
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Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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Research funding: This research received no external funding.
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Data availability: The experimental data supporting this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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