Pb(II) Ion Removal Potential in Chemically Modified Ziziphus joazeiro Barks

In this study, five types of modified Ziziphus joazeiro barks were investigated for the removal of Pb(II) ions from aqueous solutions. The samples tested were natural barks, natural powder, washed with water, ethanol at 80% (EE) and 0.5 N NaOH. Batch kinetics experiments were performed under the conditions: 24–25 °C, pH 5.5–5.8, 102 mg·L(−1) Pb(NO(3))(2), 100 rpm and 0.1 g of adsorbent, and analyses of pHpzc and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. All adsorbents tested showed potential to remove Pb(II) ions, but the adsorbent washed by 0.5 N NaOH obtained the highest experimental performance (25.5 mg·g(−1) at 30 min), while the EE had the least performance (20.4 mg·g(−1) at 60 min), and maximum removals of 99.9%. The kinetic models pointed to a probable chemisorption due to the best fit of pseudo-second order and Elovich, and Boyd’s model, suggesting that intraparticle diffusion limits the adsorption until the initial minutes of contact. The Langmuir isotherm fitted better to the experimental data for the NaOH adsorbent, with maximum adsorption capacity equal to 62.5 mg·g(−1), although the Temkin model partially fitted, both suggesting the occurrence of chemisorption. The adsorption process is reversible (>81% at 20 min) and hence the adsorbents can be recycled and the Pb(II) ions recovered.