RT Journal Article T1 Selective biosorption and recovery of scandium using the alga Fucus vesiculosus A1 Castro Ruiz, Laura A1 Abrahamyan, Nelly A1 Vardanyan, Nelly A1 González González, Felisa A1 Vardanyan, Narine A1 Muñoz Sánchez, Jesús Ángel AB The goal of this work was to study the viability of the application of biosorption using the brown alga Fucus vesiculosus in the recovery of scandium from red mud. The highest affinity of the biosorbent for scandium and aluminium was at pH 3. Sorption isotherms fitted to the Langmuir model for scandium and aluminium with adsorption capacities as high as 1.04 mmol·g−1 for both metals but with higher affinity for scandium than for aluminium. The performance of the biomass in fixed-bed columns was evaluated in different experimental conditions (flow rate, bed height and inlet metal concentration). Metal desorption was achieved with different inorganic and organic acids. After three consecutive sorption–desorption cycles using 0.1 N citric acid and deionized water during the regeneration step, the brown alga showed a progressive increase in scandium uptake due to the cross-linking citric acid and the alginate chains. The biomass was characterized before and after biosorption using Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with an energy dispersive elemental analyser (EDS). The sorption involves different functional groups, such carboxylate and sulphonic groups by chelation and electrostatic interactions. PB Elservier YR 2024 FD 2024-08-15 LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/104938 UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/104938 LA eng DS Docta Complutense RD 1 sept 2024