Shuaihua Wu

Removal of Pb²⁺ from aqueous solutions using coconut shell carbons produced by KOH activation is performed in this paper. Morphology and pore structure characteristic of coconut shell carbons are analyzed by SEM and nitrogen adsorption techniques. Effects of adsorbent concentration, agitation time and initial ion concentration on the adsorption behavior are investigated, and adsorption isotherm and kinetics on coconut shell carbons are also studied. The results show that high weight ratio of KOH/sample is favorable to produce rich porous structure. The resultant coconut shell carbons with a high specific surface area of 1135 m²/g is obtained and demonstrates good adsorption potential on removal of Pb²⁺ from aqueous solutions. Adsorption data fit well with Freundlich and Halsey isotherms. The kinetic studies indicate that adsorption behavior can be described by pseudo-second-order kinetic model, which also follows external diffusion and intra-particle diffusion in the adsorption process.