Linear and Non Linear Recognition for the Sorption of 60Co and 152+154Eu Radionuclides onto Bio CuO Nanocomposite
Saber I. Moussa, Zakaria A. Mekawy, G. A. Dakroury, Abeer Mousa, K. F. Allan
Abstract
Abstract A novel nanocomposite was prepared by hybridizing polyacrylic acid/maleic acid with nano copper oxide (PAACMA/CuO) for the sorption of 60 Co (II) and 152+154 Eu (III) radionuclides from an aqueous solution. Nano-CuO was biochemically produced by hydrolysing its salt in the presence of the Aspergillus terreus fungus. The PAACMA/CuO nanocomposite was characterized using a variety of analytical techniques. The optimum sorption conditions (pH 4.5 for 60 Co and pH 3.53 for 152+154 Eu, 24 h of equilibrium time at 20 o C) were applied. The kinetic mechanism of the sorption reaction was controlled by pseudo second order based on residual charts, coefficient of determination (R 2 ), and corrected Akaike information Criterion (AIC c ). The sorption reaction mechanism was controlled by Langmuir model for linear regression using the coefficient of determination and the Dubinin-Radushkevich D-R model for the AIC c and residual plots error functions. The reaction mechanism throughout non-linear regression was controlled by the D-R model due to the coefficient of determination, AIC c , and residual charts. The PAACMA/CuO nanocomposite had a mono-layer adsorption capacity of 11.04 mg g − 1 for Co (II) and 21.54 mg g − 1 for Eu (III). According to desorption studies, Co (II) and Eu (III) could be recovered by 0.1 mol L − 1 EDTA with efficiencies 55.46% and 95.044%, respectively. According to thermodynamic studies, the sorption of Co (II) and Eu (III) on the prepared composite was endothermic and spontaneous.