Growth of carbon nanotube on micro-sized Al_2O_3 particle and its application to adsorption of metal ions

摘要

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were grown on micron-sized Al_2O_3 particles in an atmosphere of methane and hydrogen at 700 deg C under the catalysis of Fe-Ni nanoparticles that had been deposited on the surface of Al_2O_3 particles by an electroless plating technique. The individual and competitive adsorption capacities of Pb~(2+), Cu~(2+), and Cd~(2+) from aqueous solution by CNTs on Al_2O_3 particles were studied. The results showed that the adsorption behavior of these metal ions by as-grown CNTs on Al_2O_3 particles is in good agreement with the Langmuir adsorption model. The maximum individual adsorption capacities of Pb~(2+), Cu~(2+), and Cd~(2+) from water by as-grown CNTs on Al_2O_3 particles are 62.50, 27.03, and 9.30 mg/g, respectively. The CNTs on Al_2O_3 particles have promising potential applications in removing soluble heavy metals from aqueous solutions.