Adsorption and Recovery of Nonionic Surfactants by β-Cyclodextrin Polymer

Abstract

Adsorption and recovery of nonionic surfactants (alkylphenol ethoxylate; APE) from aqueous solution was studied using β-cyclodextrin polymer (βCD-P). A 150-ml aqueous solution containing 200 ppm of APE and 1 g of βCD-P was shaken for 2 h in a batchwise test using a beaker. The results indicated that about 85% of APE was adsorbed on βCD-P from aqueous solution and also the adsorbed APE was released from βCD-P by shaking with a mixture of water and various kinds of alcohols, such as methanol, ethanol, propanol, 2-propanol, andt-butanol. Regenerated βCD-P was reusable as an adsorbent. The APE recovery efficiency was dependent on the ratio of the mixture of water and each alcohol. Furthermore, the continuous recovery of APE was studied using a column charged with βCD-P at 25, 50, and 70°C, and also the adsorption isotherms were obtained by observing the equilibrium concentration and the amount of adsorbed APE at the same temperatures.