Fixed bed adsorption of nitrate and phosphate nutrients using char prepared by co-pyrolysis of waste tires and date stones
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31699/IJCPE.2026.2.7Keywords:
Fixed bed adsorption; Breakthrough curves; Binary pollutants; Anion adsorption; Co-pyrolysisAbstract
Conversion of waste tires and date stones into char through co-pyrolysis is an effective way to safely remove and recycle these materials. This study tested char as a low-cost adsorbent for removing nitrate and phosphate in fixed-bed systems, offering a way to reuse waste tires and date stones. The effects of inlet pollutant concentration (50, 150, and 300 mg/L), flow rate (5, 10, and 15 ml/min), and bed height (5, 10, and 15 cm) on the adsorption system’s breakthrough were measured. Characteristics of char were analyzed via the Fourier transform of infrared (FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and zeta potential. The fixed-bed analysis demonstrated superior correlation of breakthrough data with both the Yoon-Nelson and Thomas models. Under varying circumstances, the findings agreed with the Yoon-Nelson and Thomas models, as measured by the correlation coefficient R2 values (0.8147-0.9913) for phosphate, (0.9187-0.9913) for nitrate, and (0.8146-0.9907) for phosphate, (0.9189-0.9801) for nitrate, respectively. The results demonstrate the potential of the prepared char as an efficient and sustainable adsorbent for nutrient removal in continuous treatment systems, providing a promising approach for wastewater treatment and waste valorization.
Received on 25/11/2025
Received in Revised Form on 25/05/2026
Accepted on 26/05/2026
Published on 30/06/2026
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