Adsorption of cadmium ions from aqueous solutions using nano-montmorillonite: kinetics, isotherm and mechanism evaluations

With increasing industrial development, heavy metal pollution, e.g., cadmium (Cd) pollution, is increasingly serious in soil and water environments. This study investigated the sorption performance of nano-montmorillonite (NMMT) for Cd ions. Adsorption experiments were carried out to examine the effects of the initial metal ion concentration (22.4–224 mg/L), pH (2.5–7.5), contact time (2–180 min) and temperature (15–40 °C). A simulated acid rain solution was prepared to study the desorption of Cd adsorbed on NMMT. After the adsorption or desorption process, the supernatant was analyzed using a flame atomic absorption spectrometry method. The Cd removal rate increased as the pH and contact time increased but decreased as the initial metal ion concentration increased. The maximum adsorption capacity was estimated to be 17.61 mg/g at a Cd 2+ concentration of 22.4 mg/L. The sorption process can be described by both the Langmuir and Freundlich models, and the kinetic studies revealed that the pseudo-second-order model fit the experimental data. The Cd desorption rate when exposed to simulated acid rain was less than 1%. NMMT possesses a good adsorption capacity for Cd ions. Additionally, ion exchange was the main adsorption mechanism, but some precipitation or surface adsorption also occurred.