Removal of ibuprofen from aqueous solution by functionalized strong nano-clay composite adsorbent: kinetic and equilibrium isotherm studies

Abstract

The functionalized nano-clay composite adsorbent was prepared, and its properties were characterized using FT-IR, XRD and SEM techniques. The synthesized nano-clay composite was studied with regard to its capacity to remove ibuprofen under different adsorption conditions such as varying pH levels (5–9), initial ibuprofen concentrations (3, 5 and 10 mg L−1), contact time, and the amount of adsorbent (0.125, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 g). In order to evaluate the nanocomposite adsorption capacity, the adsorption results were assessed using nine isotherm models. The results showed that the optimum adsorption pH was 6 and that an increase or decrease in the pH reduced the adsorption capacity. The adsorption process was fast and reached equilibrium after 120 min. The maximum efficacy of ibuprofen removal was approximately 95.2%, with 1 g of adsorbent, 10 mg L−1 initial concentration of ibuprofen, 120 min contact time and pH = 6. The optimal adsorption isotherm models were the Freundlich, Fritz–Schlunder, Redlich–Peterson, Radke–Prausnitz, Sip, Toth and Khan models. In addition, four adsorption kinetic models were employed for adsorption system evaluation under a variety of experimental conditions. The kinetic data illustrated that the process is very fast, and the reaction followed the Elovich kinetic model. Therefore, this nano-clay composite can be used as an effective adsorbent for the removal of ibuprofen from aqueous solutions, such as water and wastewater.