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Low cost and large scale carbon nanotube and nanofibre (CNT-CNF) composite films have been fabricated and employed as electrodes for electrosorption of cupric ions. The regeneration of the saturated CNT-CNF film electrode has been investigated. Three methods (short-circuiting, short-circuiting and then reversing voltage, reversing voltage and then short-circuiting) are used for regeneration. The results show that low regeneration efficiency of CNT-CNF film electrode due to electrodeposition of Cu on the electrode surface can be highly improved by regeneration applying reverse voltage combined with short circuit. 93% regeneration efficiency can be achieved when 0.8 V reverse voltage is applied before short-circuiting during regeneration of CNT-CNF film electrode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanotubes and nanofibres (CNTs-CNFs) films have been grown on Ni sheets by low pressure chemical vapor deposition system and show good physical adsorption capability for ferric (Fe3+) ions. The studies of adsorption kinetics and isotherms indicate that Fe3+ adsorption process was regarded as first-order model and followed a Langmuir isotherm indicating monolayer adsorption. The saturated CNTs-CNFs film is easy to be regenerated by electrodesorption with direct voltage applied. The result shows that the combination of adsorption and electrodesorption by CNTs-CNFs is a promising technology to remove the Fe3+ contamination in solution, which can be further extended to the process of other heavy metal ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]