Use of steel converter slag as nickel adsorber to wastewater treatment

Magnetite, the main component of converter slag in the steel industry, can be used for the adsorption of Ni(II) from aqueous solutions, over a range of conditions: initial metal concentration (10–100 mg l−1), stirring times (2–240 min), adsorbent dosage (1 g for 0.5 l of metal solution) and temperatures (20, 30 and 38°C). The adsorption rate increased with initial concentration but decreased with increase in temperature, due to competition of the dissolution process. The adsorption process obeyed the Freundlich isotherm model.