Abstract
In this study, two alternative synthesis routes for magnetic adsorbents were evaluated to remove Pb(II) and Cd(II) in an aqueous solution. First, activated carbon was prepared from argan shells (C). One portion was doped with magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)+C) and the other with cobalt ferrite (CoFe(2)O(4)+C). Characterization studies showed that C has a high surface area (1635 m(2) g(-1)) due to the development of microporosity. For Fe(3)O(4)+C the magnetic particles were nano-sized and penetrated the material's texture, saturating the micropores. In contrast, CoFe(2)O(4)+C conserves the mesoporosity developed because most of the cobalt ferrite particles adhered to the exposed surface of the material. The adsorption capacity for Pb(II) was 389 mg g(-1) (1.88 mmol g(-1)) and 249 mg g(-1) (1.20 mmol g(-1)); while for Cd(II) was 269 mg g(-1) (2.39 mmol g(-1)) and 264 mg g(-1) (2.35 mmol g(-1)) for the Fe(3)O(4)+C and CoFe(2)O(4)+C, respectively. The predominant adsorption mechanism is the interaction between -FeOH groups with the cations in the solution, which are the main reason these adsorption capacities remain high in repeated adsorption cycles after regeneration with HNO(3). The results obtained are superior to studies previously reported in the literature, making these new materials a promising alternative for large-scale wastewater treatment processes using batch-type reactors.