Rapid adsorption of lead ions using porous carbon nanofibers

Lead is one of the toxic elements in the environment having non-biodegradable behavior. On the other hand, the high contamination of lead in water is a major alarming threat to the world nowadays. In this study, PAN-based porous carbon nanofibers (p-CNFs) were used to adsorb the lead ions for both batch and continuous method. The synthesis was achieved by electrospinning and thermal treatment. The characterization of p-CNFs was achieved via FE-SEM, EDX, BET and Raman spectra. Furthermore, the adsorption capability for lead ions was examined using ICP-MS. The adsorption parameters such as pH of the solution, the mass of nanofibers, adsorption time and initial concentration of lead ions were optimized. The obtained results fitted well with the Langmuir model and the pseudo-second-order model. The nanofibers showed high adsorption capability at neutral pH within 1 min. Therefore, the prepared p-CNFs can be recommended for lead ions removal up to its permissible limit in a continuous purification system for drinking water.