Journal of Advanced Materials and Technologies

Journal of Advanced Materials and Technologies

Optimization of Nickel Ion Adsorption from Wastewater by Chitosan/Activated Bentonite Composite activated with hydrochloric acid: The Role of Iranian Bentonite Content and factors affecting absorption

Document Type : Original Reaearch Article

Authors
Amir Mohammad Naghizadeh 1
Hamidreza Rezaei 2
Majid Hosseinzadeh 3
1 M.Sc. Student, School of Civil Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
2 Professor, School of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
3 Assistant Professor, School of Civil Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
10.30501/jamt.2026.579626.1362
Abstract
Water contamination by heavy metal cations such as nickel, cobalt, and lead has become a significant environmental concern. To remove these pollutants from water to levels that allow industrial wastewater to be reused in industrial and agricultural applications, various methods, including adsorption using different adsorbents, have been employed. In this study, a chitosan/acid-activated bentonite composite adsorbent was prepared in the form of beads. A suspension containing chitosan and bentonite at different weight ratios was added dropwise into an alkaline medium containing NaOH and then allowed to stand for 24 h to facilitate the formation of beads with suitable size, shape, and apparent mechanical strength. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the composite beads indicated an increase in the interlayer spacing of the montmorillonite layers. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis showed that compositing chitosan with bentonite increased the specific surface area by 407% compared with chitosan beads alone. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy revealed the formation of a Ni(RNH₂)²⁺ complex between nickel cations and the amine groups of chitosan, evidenced by an absorption peak at a wavenumber of 1632 cm⁻¹. Nickel adsorption at an initial concentration of 80 ppm, pH 7–8, and a temperature of 25 °C, using composite beads with a chitosan-to-bentonite weight ratio of 2:1, achieved 93% removal, corresponding to an adsorption capacity of 18.6 mg/g. The results of the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm studies for the activated chitosan/bentonite composite beads indicated that the experimental data were in good agreement with the Freundlich model.
Keywords
Composite Beads
Chitosan
Montmorillonite
Heavy Metal Removal
Freundlich Isotherm
Subjects
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Journal of Advanced Materials and Technologies
Volume 15, Issue 2
Summer 2026
Pages 1-19

  • Receive Date 26 April 2026
  • Revise Date 20 May 2026
  • Accept Date 18 July 2026