Removal of Cadmium from Simulated Wastewater through Synergistic Reactive Extraction
Fadzlin Qistina FAUZAN, Izzat Naim SHAMSUL KAHAR, Norisya Balqis MOHD AMIN, Norasikin OTHMAN, Shuhada A. IDRUS-SAIDI
Abstract. Cadmium (Cd) contamination in water poses serious environmental risks due to its high toxicity, making effective removal strategies essential. Among various methods, reactive extraction has emerged as a promising and greener approach for Cd removal from wastewater. The use of a single extractant has shown potential in Cd removal from wastewater. However, its efficiency remains limited, highlighting the need for improved formulations. In this study, the effects of extractant type, concentration, and synergistic combinations were investigated to determine the most effective system for Cd extraction. The results revealed that the synergistic pairing of phosphinothioic acid (Cyanex 302) as the base extractant, with tributyl phosphate (TBP) as a synergist, using palm oil as diluent, achieved high efficiency. At the optimized conditions of 0.03 M Cyanex 302 and 0.001 M TBP, Cd extraction reached 99.47%. Stoichiometric analysis conducted indicated that 0.5 mole of Cyanex 302 interacted with one mole of Cd during complex formation, confirming the extraction mechanism. For Cd stripping, 0.15 M H2SO4 exhibited the highest stripping efficiency, with 96.73% Cd successfully stripped from the organic phase. Stoichiometric analysis revealed that 1.5 moles of H2SO4 are required to complex with one mole of Cd, validating the stripping mechanism.
Keywords
Cadmium, Synergistic Extractants, Reactive Extraction, Stoichiometric, Cyanex 302
Published online 1/15/2026, 8 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Fadzlin Qistina FAUZAN, Izzat Naim SHAMSUL KAHAR, Norisya Balqis MOHD AMIN, Norasikin OTHMAN, Shuhada A. IDRUS-SAIDI, Removal of Cadmium from Simulated Wastewater through Synergistic Reactive Extraction, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 59, pp 177-184, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903957-23
The article was published as article 23 of the book Separation Technology
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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