Extraction of scandium from red mud by modified activated carbon and kinetics study

Activated carbon (AC) was modified by tri-butyl phosphate (TBP) for selectively extracting scandium from red mud and characterized by BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) surface area. The modified AC had a preferential adsorption to scandium. The influences of adsorbent dosage, adsorption temperature, and time on adsorption capacity and selectivity to scandium were examined. An optimum adsorbent dosage (∼6.25 g/L), adsorption temperature (308 K), and adsorption time (40 min) were figured out. A pseudo-second-order kinetics model was employed for describing the adsorption process of scandium.