Adsorption and Thermodynamic Studies of a-Picoline, b-Picoline, and g-Picoline on the Zeolites: Faujasite and Phillipsite

In the present study the ability of two Jordanian zeolites (faujasite and phillipsite) to remove a-picoline, b-picoline, and g-picoline from aqueous solution is investigated. Equilibrium and thermodynamic studies of a-, b-, and g – picolines onto zeolite were carried out at different concentrations and temperatures. The experimental sorption data were fitted to the Langmuir, Langmuir -Freundlich, and Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) isotherms. The removal percentages of g-, b-, and a–picolines by 50 g/L faujasite were 50, 47, and 47 % at initial concentration of 200 mg/L; while phillipsite removed 78, 72, and 51 % of g –, a-, and b-picolines, respectively, under the same experimental conditions. The exothermic nature of the adsorption of the picolines onto faujasite and phillipsite indicates that the adsorption is physical in nature. The Gibbs free energy change, ΔG, was negative for all temperatures studied suggesting that the reactions occur spontaneously.