A comparative study between synthetic solution and electroplating effluent regarding kinetic and equilibrium Zn ions removal behavior by Amberlite IR 120 resin

Mathematical modeling is an essential tool for the design and scale-up of wastewater treatment of effluents containing heavy metal ions. Most studies use synthetic solutions to identify equilibrium and kinetics parameters, and some suggest their use for design and scale-up of the process. Thus, the main objective of this paper was to compare the kinetic and equilibrium behavior of Zn ions removal from a synthetic solution (SYSO) and a filtered real electroplating effluent (FREF). For that purpose, equilibrium and kinetic ion exchange assays were performed in a closed batch operation mode and in a fixed-bed column. Different isotherm profiles were obtained for SYSO and FREF, with a higher maximum adsorption capacity (q max ) for the FREF-resin system. Similarly, a higher intraparticle diffusion coefficient was also observed for the FREF-resin system. The results indicated that both kinetic and equilibrium parameters values diverge for synthetic and real systems though. The mathematical model applied to the process in the fixed-bed column was able to describe both SYSO and FREF. It must be highlighted that, in the fixed-bed system simulations, the batch system parameters were used. Overall, for a real ion-exchange process design, the conventional lab-scale studies with synthetic solutions must be more cautiously addressed since they can lead to the underestimation of operational conditions and design parameters.