Mohammad Reza Golzari - Islamic Azad University, shahr rey
Azita khosravan - International center for science, high technology and environmental science
Hassan Hashemipour - Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Chemical engineering Department

The individual and competitive adsorption capacities of Cu2+ and Zn2+ by nitric acid treated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were studied. The maximum sorption capacities calculated to single ion adsorption were 100% for Cu2+ and 91.4% for Zn2+ in the initial concentration 5 mg/l. The competitive adsorption studies showed that the affinity order of two metal ions adsorbed by CNTs were 90.4% for Cu2+ and 52.68% for Zn2+in the initial concentration 5 mg/l. Equilibrium time were studied for of single ion adsorption and of two metal ions adsorption by CNT 0.02 g at initial concentration 5 mg/l, this time was 60 min. The effects of solution pH, initial concentration, CNT dosage and temperature on the competitive adsorption of Cu and Zn ions were investigated.

carbon nanotube, competitiv adsorption, copper, zinc