Assessment of Two Materials as Adsorbents for the Effective Removal and Further Pre-Concentration of Gallium from Aqueous Solutions: Mesoporous Carbon vs. Clinoptilolite

In this research, the adsorption of gallium onto natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) and two mesoporous-activated carbons were compared evaluated. The clinoptilolite was treated with HCl (HCPL), while (MCSG60A MCO1) synthesized by replica method, using sucrose as carbon precursor silica gel template. These carbonaceous materials showed large pore sizes mesoporous surface, well a suitable surface chemistry for cation adsorption, which promotes high negative charge density. On other hand, zeolites have narrower sizes, hinders material diffusion inside particle; however, its strength is their ion exchange capacity. Regarding kinetic studies, it described Pseudo-second order model both sorts adsorbents. MCO1 best adsorbent studied, capacity 4.58 mg/g. As zeolites, between HCPL results, 3.1 mechanism based on physisorption, mainly retained due to an ion-exchange process. Giles classification, isotherm H-4 pattern affinity characteristic multilayer adsorption. Double-Langmuir fits properly within these experimental results. case followed L-2 pattern, typical monolayer adsorption—the Sips one that better describes zeolite.