Abstract: | Surfactant-modified natural zeolites (SMNZ) with different coverage types were prepared by loading hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium
bromide (HTAB) onto the surface of a natural zeolite. The adsorption behavior of humic acid (HA) on SMNZ was investigated.
Results indicate that the adsorbent SMNZ exhibited a higher affinity toward HA than the natural zeolite. HA removal efficiency
by SMNZ increased with HTAB loading. Coexisting Ca2+ in solution favored HA adsorption onto SMNZ. Adsorption capacity decreased with an increasing solution pH. For typical SMNZ
with bilayer HTAB coverage, HA adsorption process is well described by a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The experimental
isotherm data fitted well with the Langmuir model. Calculated maximum HA adsorption capacities for SMNZ with bilayer HTAB
coverage at pH 5.5 and 7.5 were 63 and 41 mg·g−1, respectively. E2/E3 (absorbance at 250 nm to that at 365 nm) and E4/E6 (absorbance at 465 nm to that at 665 nm) ratios of
the residual HA in solution were lower than that of the original HA solution. This indicates that the HA fractions with high
polar functional groups, low molecular weight (MW), and aromaticity had a stronger tendency for adsorption onto SMNZ with
bilayer HTAB coverage. Results show that HTAB-modified natural zeolite is a promising adsorbent for removal of HA from aqueous
solution. |