ABSTRACT
Gum kondagogu (Cochlospermum gossypium), a naturally occurring tree biopolymer, is exploited as a biosorbent to remove metal ions from aqueous solutions. The removal efficiency of toxic metals by gum kondagogu was determined quantitatively in the order Cd2+ > Cu2+ > Fe2+ > Se2+ > Pb2+ > total Cr > Ni2+ > Zn2+ > Co2+ > As2+ at pH 5.0+/-0.1 and temperature 25+/-2 degrees C by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The biosorption (%) of various metal ions tested was found to be in the range of 97.3-16.7%, at pH 5.0. The morphological and mechanisms of interaction of toxic metal ions with gum kondagogu were assessed by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDXA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrum. The analysis indicated that biosorption process included morphological changes, precipitation, complexation and ion exchange mechanism for the removal of metal ions by the gum. XRD analysis indicated the amorphous nature of gum kondagogu, which facilitate metal biosorption. The metal ions adsorption leads to its deposition on the gum kondagogu matrix in a crystalline state.
Subject(s)
Bixaceae/chemistry , Colloids/chemistry , Metals, Heavy/isolation & purification , Metals, Heavy/toxicity , Plant Gums/chemistry , Water Pollutants, Chemical/isolation & purification , Water Pollutants, Chemical/toxicity , Adsorption/drug effects , Biodegradation, Environmental/drug effects , Microscopy, Electron, Scanning , Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission , Spectrophotometry, Atomic , X-Ray DiffractionABSTRACT
In this paper, we examine the possible influence of extrinsic factors on the electrical and magnetotransport of La(0.67)Ca(0.33)Mn(1-x)Ru(x)O(3) (x≤0.10). Ru substitution results in double metal-insulator transitions (MITs) at T(MI1) and T(MI2), both exhibiting magnetoresistance (MR). No additional magnetic signal corresponding to a second low-temperature maximum (LTM) at T(MI2) could be observed, either in ac susceptibility (χ(')) or in specific heat (C(p)). Typical grain sizes of â¼18 000-20 000 nm, as estimated from the scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs, are not so small as to warrant an LTM. The absence of additional peaks in the high statistics powder x-ray diffraction (XRD), a linear systematic increase of the unit cell parameters, close matching of the transition temperatures in resistivity, χ(') and C(p) and their linear systematic decrease with x, and an homogeneous distribution of Mn, Ru and O at arbitrarily selected regions within and across the grains exclude chemical inhomogeneity in the samples. The insensitivity of grain boundary MR at 5 K to Ru composition indicates that the grain boundary is not altered to result in an LTM. Oxygen stoichiometry of all the compounds is close to the nominal value of 3. These results not only exclude the extrinsic factors, but also establish that double MITs, both exhibiting MR, are intrinsic to Ru substituted La(0.67)Ca(0.33)MnO(3).
