Removal of Fe(2+) and Mn(2+) from Polluted Groundwater by Insoluble Humic Acid/Tourmaline Composite Particles

Insoluble humic acid/tourmaline composite particles (IHA/TM) were prepared by combining inorganic tourmaline (TM) with the natural organic polymer humic acid (HA) and carbonizing them at 330 °C to study the removal characteristics and mechanism of Fe(2+) and Mn(2+). The results showed that the optimal ratio of TM to IHA is 2:3. When the temperature of the IHA/TM composite particles was 35 °C and the pH was 6, the adsorption of Fe(2+) and Mn(2+) by IHA/TM reached equilibrium at 240 min. The optimum dose of the adsorbent was 10 g/L, and the equilibrium adsorption capacities of Fe(2+) and Mn(2+) were 5.645 mg/g and 3.574 mg/g, respectively. The process of IHA/TM adsorption of Fe(2+) and Mn(2+) in water was spontaneous, endothermic and sustainable, and cooling was not conducive to adsorption. The pseudo-second order kinetic equation can well reflect the adsorption mechanism of IHA/TM on Fe(2+) and Mn(2+), and the Langmuir adsorption model better describes the isothermal adsorption behaviour. The material characterisation and adsorption experiments indicate that surface coordination and chemical precipitation are the main mechanisms of Fe(2+) and Mn(2+) removal by IHA/TM.