Application of Modified LECA in Removing Nickel from Wastewater

In the present study, lightweight expanded clay aggregate (LECA) coated with iron oxide was investigated as a low cost sorbent to remove  from wastewater. Iron oxide coated LECA (IOCL) as a new sorbent was tested for its efficiency as  sorbent using operational parameters such as contact time, the initial pH of the solutions, and sorbent dosage concentration in batch systems. The adsorption characteristics of the natural LECA and IOCL were investigated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The maximum sorption efficiency was found to be 96% for IOCL at an initial pH of 6.0 and a sorbent dosage of 5 . The results revealed that the  sorption kinetic data were well fitted to a pseudo second–order kinetic model. The experimental data showed that  sorption was considerably high on IOCL and the new sorbent is an economical method for Ni (II) removal from effluents and aqueous media.