Enhanced sorption of mercury from compact fluorescent bulbs and contaminated water streams using functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes.

Three different functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes were prepared, namely, oxidized CNTs (CNT-OX), iodide incorporated MWCNT (CNT-I) and sulfur incorporated MWCNT (CNT-S). The as prepared adsorbents were structurally characterized by various spectral techniques like scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDAX), Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) surface area analyzer, Fourier transform infra red (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. Loading of iodide and sulfur was evident from the EDAX graphs. The adsorption properties of Hg(2+) as a function of pH, contact time and initial metal concentration were characterized by Cold vapor AAS. The adsorption kinetics fitted the Pseudo second order kinetics and equilibrium was reached within 90 min. The experimental data were modeled with Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Redushkevich and Temkin isotherms and various isotherm parameters were evaluated. It was found that the mercury adsorption capacity for the prepared adsorbents were in the order of CNT-S>CNT-I>CNT-OX>CNT. Studies have been conducted to demonstrate the applicability of the sorbent toward the removal of Hg(0) from broken compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs and Hg(II) from contaminated water streams.