Abstract
The adsorption features of copper ion have been investigated by taking the barley residue which occurring from the beer production process as an adsorbent. Under the experimental conditions, adsorption equilibrium of copper ion was attained within 30 minutes after the adsorption started and the adsorption reaction was observed to be first order. As the temperature increased, the adsorbed amount of copper ion at equilibrium was also increased, which indicated that the adsorption reaction was endothermic. Based on the experimental results which obtained by varying the temperatures, several thermodynamic parameters for copper adsorption reaction were estimated. Regarding the electrokinetic behavior of barley residue, its electrokinetic potential was observed to be positive below pH 5 and turned into negative above this pH. In the pH range from 1.5 to 4, copper adsorption was found to be increased, which was well explained by the electrokinetic behavior of barley residue in the pH range. When nitrilotriacetic acid, which is a complexing agent, was coexisted with copper ion, equilibrium adsorption of copper ion was decreased and this was presumed to be due to the formation of metal complex. In addition, the adsorbed amount of copper ion was examined to be increased when $KNO_3$ was coexisted, however, it approached a saturated value above a certain concentration of $KNO_3$.