Fixed-bed column dynamic studies and breakthrough curve analysis of Eu(III) ion adsorption onto chemically modified SBA-15 silica materials

A continuous fixed bed study was carried out by using two SBA-15 mesoporous silica materials decorated with Schiff base ligands for the removal of Eu(III) from aqueous solutions. The impact of flow rates of the sample and eluent, column bed height, sample, and eluent volumes was investigated. The analysis of the breakthrough investigations showed the exhaustion time, exhaustion volume, and metal uptake capacities accrued with a decrease in the flow rate and with an increase in the bed height. Thomas and Yan models were fitted to the experimental data to work out the characteristic parameters of the column for process design.