Intensification of the rate of heavy metal removal from wastewater by cementation in a jet reactor

Removal of copper by cementation on zinc disc from dilute copper sulfate solution in a recirculating batch reactor which consisted of a horizontal zinc disc impinged by an axial turbulent submerged jet was studied. The effect of different parameters such as, initial copper ion concentration, solution flow rate and the axial distance between the zinc disk and submerged jet on the rate of copper ion removal were investigated. The rate of cementation was found to increase with increasing solution flow rate, decreasing the axial distance between jet and zinc disc, and by increasing copper ion concentration. The rate of diffusion controlled cementation of copper ion was expressed in terms of the mass transfer coefficient, the data were correlated with the following dimensionless correlation: Sh = 0.306 Sc(0.33)Re(0.997)(d(n)/l)(0.0337) The high rate of mass transfer of the jet reactor, qualifies the reactor for diffusion controlled heavy metals removal from wastewater. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.