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Title: Retention of Hg(II) by solid mercury sulfide from acidic solution

Journal Article · · Separation Science and Technology
; ;  [1]
  1. Pakistan Inst. of Nuclear Science and Technology, Islamabad (Pakistan). Nuclear Chemistry Div.

Mercury sulfide was prepared and characterized by measuring average pore size and surface area. The sorption of mercury onto mercury sulfide was investigated in detail with respect to sorptive medium, agitation time, sorbent and sorbate concentration, and temperature. The maximum sorption of mercury (> 99.8) was achieved from 10{sup {minus}3} M hydrochloric acid solution using 50 mg mercury sulfide for 10 minutes. The sorption data of mercury followed the Langmuir isotherm over the entire concentration of mercury investigated whereas the Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherms were obeyed only up to low and moderate concentrations. Useful parameters like sorption capacity and energy have been evaluated using these isotherms. The variation of the equilibrium constant with temperature has the results {Delta}H = 23.8 {+-} 3.2 kJ/mol, {Delta}S = 130 {+-} 10 J/mol {center_dot} K, and {Delta}G = {minus}13.5 {+-} 0.4 kJ/mol at 298 K. Among the ions tested, tartrate, fluoride, and citrate increase the sorption whereas Cu(II), Ba(II), Zn(II), Ni(II), Fe(II), and Cr(III) reduce the sorption significantly. Except for Y(III) ({approximately} 91%), all the metal ions showed a lower affinity toward HgS, especially trivalent Ho, Fe, Sc, Tm, Ga, Dy, As, and Pr which showed sorption > 1 and < 10%. The mercury sulfide column can be used to separate Hg(II) from these trivalent metal ions.

OSTI ID:
324005
Journal Information:
Separation Science and Technology, Vol. 34, Issue 3; Other Information: PBD: Feb 1999
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English