Investigation of U(VI) biosorption dynamic in fixed bed column: calculation of mass transfer resistances and identification of rate-controlling step

In the present research, mass transfer resistances of various steps of uranium biosorption using Pseudomonas putida @ Chitosan biosorbent in a fixed bed column were calculated. The description process dynamic parameters using dimensionless numbers showed that the Biot number was greater than 30 in all experiments which confirms the high mass transfer rate of the liquid film in comparison with intra-particle diffusion. Increment of the mass transfer driving force across the liquid film via enhancement in the inlet concentration along with a decrease in the liquid film thickness through a reduction in the sorbent particle size caused a decline in the mass transfer resistance of the liquid film. Furthermore, the Peclet number was found to be increased with increment of the bed height and decrement of the sorbent particle size which indicates a shortening in the mass transfer region thickness and reduction in the axial dispersion resistance. The biosorbent structure caused the pore diffusion flux to be negligible in comparison with the surface diffusion flux. The surface diffusion was the dominant intraparticle diffusion mechanism. The obtained results showed that intraparticle diffusion resistances were several times greater than liquid film resistances and axial dispersion resistances in all experiments, and also were the rate-controlling step. Since the change in operational conditions has a small effect on the intraparticle diffusion, the column efficiency was only proportional to the process residence time, varying between 0.00% to 53.00%.