ABSTRACT
A generalised kinetic model for sorption of metal ions by some sets of polymer resins from aqueous solutions has been developed. For this to be effectively done, one resin type (amberlite IRA 400 CI-, AD 54 OH-, and amberlite IR 45 OH-) was respectively chosen from each set having similar properties for the kinetic study. All attempts to conduct the sorption of tungsten by amberlite IR 45 OH- became impossible. The rate of sorption of molybdenum by amberlite IRA 400 CI- was faster than the sorption of tungsten by amberlite 400 CI- and sorption of tungsten by AD 54 OH- resins. The activation energy of sorption was respectively found to be 11.60KJ, 21.90KJ and 32.50KJ. AD 54 OH- resin possess better mechanical property, and hence, more selective, (though it exhibited low exchange rate) in tungsten solution as it was found to be stable in same solution even at 70�C operation temperature. But amberlite 400 CI- dissolved in both tungsten and molybdenum solutions at temperature slightly higher than 40�C. A two active sites first order reversible kinetic model was proposed to test the sorption processes thus: C = (C0-Ce)*(eexp(-C0/(C0-Ce))K1t + (l-6)exp(-C0/(C0-Ce) )K2t) + Ce This model was found to fit the sorption of tungsten by both amberlite IRA 400 CI- and IONAC AD 54 OH-, and the sorption of molybdenum by amberlite IRA 400 CI- to over 90 % confidence limits.