Evaluation of Cd and Pb adsorption by red mud, a byproduct of the aluminum industry

• Grant number: 11/20751-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2012
• End date: November 30, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Geology
• Principal Investigator: Fabiano Tomazini da Conceição
• Grantee: Pamela Moreno
• Host Institution: Instituto de Geociências e Ciências Exatas (IGCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Brazil is a major producer of aluminum in the world and annually generates an enormous amount of red mud as industrial waste. When activated by thermal or chemical treatments, the red mud has shown adsorption properties and this has allowed new possibilities for reuse. In this context, this project aims to evaluate the adsorption of Cd and Pb by natural and activated red mud. For that, the adsorption isotherms will be obtained by atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma (ICP-AES), and analyzed by Langmuir and Freundlich models.(AU)