High efficiency removal of heavy metals using tire-derived activated carbon vs commercial activated carbon: Insights into the adsorption mechanisms

In this study, activated carbon was derived from pulverized waste tires using carbonization and chemical activation techniques. Single and competitive batch adsorption experiments for the removal of three synthetic heavy metal ions (Pb2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+) from an aqueous solution were performed to benchmark the efficiency of the Tire-derived Activated Carbon (TAC) in comparison to that of commercial activated carbon (CAC), which was used as the reference material. The sorbents physicochemical properties with corresponding adsorption mechanisms were evaluated by different experimental techniques. TAC exhibited great potential to adsorb heavy metals, with monolayer adsorption capacities as high as 322.5, 185.2, and 71.9 mg g−1 for Pb2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+, respectively, which were significantly higher than the adsorption capacities exhibited by CAC, which were 42.5, 15.0, and 14.0 mg∙g-1 for Pb2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+, respectively. Competitive adsorption results demonstrated the adsorption ability of sorbents is restricted by presence of other ions, and was decreased compared to the single sorption. Sorption kinetics data, with better fit to the pseudo-second order kinetics model, revealed that TAC had faster sorption rate in comparison to CAC. The adsorption capacities of TAC and CAC were reduced to half of their initial capacities after three successive adsorption-desorption cycles. Zeta potential, FT-IR, and XPS analyses revealed that electrostatic attraction and surface complexation mechanisms, as two metal-adsorbing mechanisms, were more influential for TAC. For CAC, a higher cation exchange capacity (CEC) value indicated that the removal of heavy metals by ion exchange was the predominant mechanism. [Display omitted] •Tire -derived activated carbon (TAC) was synthesized for heavy metal removal.•Isotherm and kinetics adsorption tests were performed for TAC and commercial activated carbon (CAC).•Electrostatic attraction and coordination with heavy metals as two adsorption mechanisms were predominant for TAC.•TAC showed higher adsorption capacity in comparison to CAC.•Producing adsorbents from waste tires can also fulfill waste management purposes.