Application of nano-perfluorooctyl alumina (PFOAL) adsorbents for Adsorption of Methyl tert-butyl Ether from aqueous medium

In this work the adsorption performances of two types of nano perfluorooctyl alumina (PFOAL) adsorbents, which are prepared using nano y-Alumina (PFOALG) and nano boehmite (PFOALB), are reported. The equilibrium adsorption behavior of the nano adsorbents was studied for adsorption of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in a wide range (100-1750 mg/L) of aqueous phase concentrations. The Freundlich, Langmuir, and BET isotherms were used to modeling of MTBE adsorption on PFOALG and PFOALB in aqueous medium. The experimental results of MTBE adsorption on these nano adsorbents obeyed a type IV vander Waals adsorption trend, which can be modeled best by the BDDT isotherm in whole concentration range, but can also be modeled by the common form of BET isotherm up to pore filling concentration. Because of the complex form of BDDT isotherm, we used only the BET isotherm for modeling the adsorption trend of MTBE on the adsorbents. The monolayer adsorption capacities were 20.6 and 21.1 mg MTBE/g adsorbent, and the maximum adsorption capacities were 46.0 and 44.4 mg MTBE/g adsorbent for PFOALG and PFOALB, respectively. These adsorption capacities are about seven times higher than that of PFOALs prepared using conventional alumina supports.