Copper Adsorption on Olivine

Copper adsorption on olivine supplied by the A/S Olivine Production Plant at Aheim in western Norway was studied. The factors were evaluated which affect the uptake of copper. It is shown that the equilibrium pH of aqueous solution has the greatest influence on copper adsorption thanks to the competitive adsorption between proton and copper ions, and the adsorption of copper to olivine increases rapidly with pH increasing from 4 to 6. Moreover, initial copper concentration and olivine dose possess significant effect on copper adsorption, for the adsorption rate of copper increases with olivine dose increasing or initial copper concentration decreasing at the same pH. In addition, the ionic strength effect on the adsorption was also investigated, but it owns little effect on the adsorption process of copper due to the formation of inner sphere adsorption of copper on olivine. The experimental data show that olivine has a high acid buffer capacity and is an effective adsorbent for copper.