ADSORPTION OF MOLYBDENUM(VI) AND RHENIUM(VII) ON MECHANICALLY ACTIVATED GRAPHITE

Sorption properties of mechanically activated graphite towards molybdenum and rhenium are studied for the first time. The optimal conditions are found such that the metals can be separated, and adsorption of molybdenum up to 95 % with adsorption of rhenium 3 % is achieved: nitric acid solution, pH 3 in the presence of 50 vol.% ethanol, stirring for 60 min. The maximum sorption capacity of the sorbent towards Mo(VI) according to the Langmuir model is 115 mg/g. The adsorption followed a pseudo-second order kinetics model. The sample after molybdenum adsorption is characterized by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray-structural analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical activation resulted in a decrease in the average size of graphite crystallites, an increase in the distance between layers, and a change in the surface state of carbon.