NICKEL AND COPPER EXTRACTION FROM LIQUID SAMPLES USING CARBON NANOTUBES

Abstract

Novel carbon-based materials find nowadays increasing use in analytical science, mainly due to their unique properties. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), one of the carbon-based materials, could possibly be used for the preconcentration and separation of trace amounts of heavy metal from liquid samples. Method called solid phase extraction (SPE) is used as extraction method for metal preconcentration, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered to be suitable solid sorbent material for this technique. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes were used as a solid phase extractor for Ni2+ and Cu2+ ions from liquid samples in this study. Experimental parameters including, pH of sample solution, oxidation technique of MWCNTs, amount of solid sorbent and analytes, concentration of eluent were investigated, focusing on the influence of these parameters on quantitative recoveries of the analytes. Analyte content in each sample or extract was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS).