Removal of copper, zinc and cadmium ions through adsorption on water-quenched blast furnace slag

Water-quenched blast furnace slag (WBFS) has been assessed regarding its capacity to remove Cu2+, Cd2+, and Zn2+ from aqueous solutions. The physicochemical properties of the slag were characterized by ICP, SEM, and XRD. Batch experiments were conducted to study the effects of the adsorbent dosage, pH, initial concentration of heavy metal ions, temperature, and contact time on the removal of Cu2+, Cd2+, and Zn2+. The results showed that the …