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The pH-dependent adsorption of Ni2+ ions to sepiolite considering Ni precipitation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 December 2025

Eyup Sabah Open the ORCID record for Eyup Sabah [Opens in a new window] ,
Orhan Ozdemir Open the ORCID record for Orhan Ozdemir [Opens in a new window] ,
Mustafa Kara  and
Mehmet Sabri Çelik Open the ORCID record for Mehmet Sabri Çelik [Opens in a new window]
Eyup Sabah*
Affiliation:
Afyon Kocatepe University , Department of Mining Engineering, 03204 Afyonkarahisar, Türkiye
Orhan Ozdemir
Affiliation:
Istanbul Technical University , Department of Mineral Processing Engineering, 34469 Istanbul, Türkiye
Mustafa Kara
Affiliation:
Istanbul Technical University , Department of Mineral Processing Engineering, 34469 Istanbul, Türkiye
Mehmet Sabri Çelik
Affiliation:
Istanbul Technical University , Department of Mineral Processing Engineering, 34469 Istanbul, Türkiye
*
Corresponding author: Eyup Sabah; Email: esabah@aku.edu.tr
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Abstract

One of the challenges in measuring the adsorption of metal cations is that they may form metal hydroxide compounds at certain pH ranges. This becomes problematic when adsorption is quantified in terms of measuring a decrease in metal ions in solution, because metal hydroxy complexes are removed from solution through precipitation, leading to erroneously high determinations of adsorption. Within this context, the present study aimed to analyze the pH-dependent adsorption behavior of Ni2+ ions onto sepiolite, a naturally occurring magnesium silicate clay mineral, while simultaneously accounting for the precipitation of nickel compounds during the process. For this purpose, zeta potential, ion exchange capacity, and the adsorption behavior of 2.5×10–3 mol L–1 nickel (II) sulfate hexahydrate onto relatively high-quality sepiolite were investigated. Kinetic studies and thermodynamic assessments were delineated to enhance the understanding of adsorption isotherms, both for future research and practical applications in environmental remediation. The results showed that the adsorption of Ni2+ ions onto sepiolite before the onset of precipitation is governed by an ion exchange process involving the release of Mg2+ ions from the sepiolite matrix and the uptake of Ni2+ ions from the solution. Above the threshold of pH ~8 where Ni-hydroxide complexes begin to form, ~97% of nickel ions were present in the forms of NiOH+, Ni(OH)2, and Ni(OH)3–. Isotherms for total Ni2+ removal were constructed to distinguish true adsorption from precipitation phenomena. The calculated and experimental values for true adsorption were found to be in good agreement.

Keywords

adsorptionhydrolysisnickelprecipitationsepiolitewastewater treatment

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Type
Original Paper
Information
Clays and Clay Minerals , Volume 74 , 2026 , e3
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Clay Minerals Society

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