Adsorption of blue copper on a natural and electrochemically treated bentonite

Kinetics and equilibrium studies of the adsorption of blue copper on a natural (NC) and electrochemically treated (EMC) bentonite, taken in different experimental conditions, were carried out. Changes of the dye uptake versus operating factors were evaluated using response surface methodology (RSM). The kinetics at 5–50 °C and pH < 10 obeyed the pseudo-first-order equation. Beyond pH 10, the pseudo-second-order equation also was suitable. The kinetics for NC was essentially controlled by external diffusion. However, both internal and external diffusion were the rate-limiting steps of the EMC kinetics. The NC isotherms were well described by the Langmuir model and the maximum uptake was around 21 mg/g. In the case of EMC, the Freundlich equation was rather fitting. Dye adsorption on both sorbents was a non-spontaneous process (2 < ΔGT 0 < 8 kJ/mol). According to the RSM results, pH had a negative impact on the dye adsorption and was the most influential factor in the case of EMC. For NC, the clay dose was rather the most important parameter. © 2014, The Author(s).