Investigation of the Cr(VI) removal from aqueous solutions by stabilized iron-nanoparticles using 51Cr-tracer

Stabilized iron-nanoparticles were used for the Cr(VI)-removal from acidic and neutral aqueous solutions (pH 1, 3, 5 and 7). The chromium interaction with the iron-nanoparticles was studied by a batch technique under different experimental conditions (e.g. pH, temperature, contact time, solid to liquid ratio) using Cr-51 as radiotracer and gamma-ray spectroscopy. The results showed that the Cr-removal was fast and the interaction kinetics could be described by a pseudo-second order rate equation. The maximum Cr-removal was observed from solutions of initial pH 3. The sorption showed a positive temperature and solid to liquid ratio dependence. The experimental results were modeled using the Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm equations and compared with literature data obtained using other sorbents. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements were performed in order to obtain information about the mechanism of the Cr-removal by the iron-nanoparticles. It was demonstrated that the dominated process based on the Cr(VI) reduction followed by the simultaneous oxidation of iron.