TY - JOUR A1 - Unuabonah, Emmanuel I. A1 - Günter, Christina A1 - Weber, Jens A1 - Lubahn, Susanne A1 - Taubert, Andreas T1 - Hybrid Clay - a new highly efficient adsorbent for water treatment JF - ACS sustainable chemistry & engineering N2 - New hybrid clay adsorbent based on kaolinite clay and Carica papaya seeds with improved cation exchange capacity (CEC), rate of heavy metal ion uptake, and adsorption capacity for heavy metal ions were prepared. The CEC of the new material is ca. 75 meq/100 g in spite of the unexpectedly low surface area (approximate to 19 m(2)/g). Accordingly, the average particle size of the hybrid clay adsorbent decreased from over 200 to 100 pm. The hybrid clay adsorbent is a highly efficient adsorbent for heavy metals. With an initial metal concentration of 1 mg/L, the hybrid clay adsorbent reduces the Cd2+, Ni2+, and Pb2+ concentration in aqueous solution to <= 4, <= 7 and <= 20 mu g/L, respectively, from the first minute to over 300 min using a fixed bed containing 2 g of adsorbent and a flow rate of approximate to 7 mL/min. These values are (with the exception of Pb2+) in line with the WHO permissible limits for heavy metal ions. In a cocktail solution of Cd2+, and Ni2+, the hybrid clay shows a reduced rate of uptake but an increased adsorption capacity. The CEC data suggest that the adsorption of Pb2+, Cd2+, and Ni2+ on the hybrid clay adsorbent is essentially due to ion exchange. This hybrid clay adsorbent is prepared from materials that are abundant and by a simple means that is sustainable, easily recovered from aqueous solution, nonbiodegradable (unlike numerous biosorbent), and easily regenerated and is a highly efficient alternative to activated carbon for water treatment. KW - Kaolinite KW - Hybrid clay KW - Water treatment KW - Cation exchange Capacity KW - Adsorbent KW - Kinetics Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/sc400051y SN - 2168-0485 VL - 1 IS - 8 SP - 966 EP - 973 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER -