Preventing Environmental Contamination by Nonionic Surfactants and Nickel

Protecting the environment from contamination by heavy metals and nonionic surfactants, the sorption of oxyethylated alcohols OS-20, alkylmonoethers ALM-10 and nickel has been investigated, on the hydrogen form of Purolite C 106 cation exchanger. The problem is that nonionic , surfactant is not removed by conventional ion exchange. Sorption isotherms were measured, coefficients for intraparticle diffusion were calculated. The sorption of nonionic surfactant from the solution, containing 10 mmol/l, amounts to 400 mg/g for OS-20 and 500 mg/g for ALM-10. The presence of nickel has no appreciable effect on the rate of intraparticle diffusion and the equilibrium sorption of surfactant. The sorption of nickel takes place in the form of both free cations and cations bonded with surfactant. The sorption of nonionic surfactant and nickel in Purolite C 106 cation exchanger was found to be suitable for the simultaneous removal of both contaminants in order to reuse the water, recovered from nickel plating rinsewater, preventing the contamination of environment.