Synthesis, characterization and adsorption studies of phosphorylated cellulose for the recovery of lithium from aqueous solutions

Abstract

In this study, pristine cellulose was functionalized by the phosphorylation reaction to make it suitable for lithium separation. After characterization studies of the synthesized adsorbent with SEM, EDX, FTIR, TGA and XPS, the effects of various parameters on the lithium uptake capacity of the adsorbent were examined. The analysis of equilibrium data by several adsorption models showed that maximum adsorption capacity of the adsorbent was found to be 9.60 mg/g at 25 degrees C by the Langmuir model. As initial concentration and contact time increased, adsorption capacity also increased, however, mild temperature (25-35 degrees C) and pH (5-6) were better for the adsorption of lithium. 80% of lithium adsorption within three minutes proved the fast kinetic nature of the adsorbent. A 99.5% desorption efficiency of lithium was achieved with 0.5 M H2SO4, among HCl and NaCl with different molarities. Phosphorylated cellulose was shown to be a favorable adsorbent for the recovery of lithium from aqueous solutions.