Zirconium oxide with graphene oxide anchoring for improved heavy metal ions adsorption: Isotherm and kinetic study

Heavy metal contamination is a major environmental issue worldwide and a significant public health risk. However, developing environmentally sustainable and technically viable solutions or adsorbents for treating water contamination caused by heavy metals is urgently needed. In this work, an eco-friendly approach of obtaining a new composite material called ZrO2/GO that was prepared from the synthesized nano zirconium oxide (ZrO2) and graphene oxide (GO) prepared from spent carbon rods in zinc carbon batteries. ZrO2/GO was analyzed by XRD, SEM, BET, EDX, and FTIR to learn more about its composition and structure. The batch approach determined the optimal sorption conditions, including pH4, 50 mg ZrO2/GO, 150 mg/L U(VI), and 50 min of sorption time. ZrO2/GO was found to have a 128 mg/g sorption capacity. The Langmuir and 2nd-order kinetic equations can be exploited to elucidate the adsorption approach with reasonable accuracy. Since sorption is exothermic when it occurs naturally, thermodynamic restrictions were also envisioned. ZrO2/GO retains over 92% heavy metal ions (VI) removal efficiency even after 7 cycles. ZrO2/GO shows assurance as a potent sorbent material to extract hexavalent heavy metal ions and adsorption capacity from massive solution volumes.