THE INFLUENCE OF OXYGEN ON THE ADSORPTION OF METAL CYANIDES ON ACTIVATED CARBON

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Abstract
Activated carbon adsorbs insignificant quantities of oxygen from aerated water. This consumption is increased drastically during the adsorption of anionic metal cyanides. The equilibrium loadings of gold and silver cyanides increased with an increase in the level of dissolved oxygen. However, for both gold and silver cyanides an oxygen concentration occurred above which the metal loading showed no further increase. FTIR scans were used to confirm the presence of AuCN and Au( CN)2 on the loaded carbons. It was suggested that gold and silver cyanides adsorb in two ways: ( 1) where oxygen is consumed for the oxidation of the active sites, and ( 2) where adsorption takes place without the use of oxygen. A multicomponent Freundlich-type isotherm proved to be adequate in predicting the equilibrium metal loadings for the competitive adsorption of gold and silver cyanides on activated carbon. The level of dissolved oxygen did not affect the competition between these two solutes significantly.

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