Carboxylated multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-COOH) have been used as efficient
adsorbents for the removal of picric acid from aqueous solutions under stirring and ultrasound
conditions. Batch experiments were conducted to study the influence of the different
parameters such as pH, amount of adsorbents, contact time and concentration of picric acid on
the adsorption process. The kinetic data were fitted with pseudo-first order, pseudo-secondorder,
Elovich and intra-particle diffusion models. The kinetic studies were well described
by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model for both methods. In addition, the adsorption
isotherms of picric acid from aqueous solutions on the MWCNTs were investigated using
six two-parameter models (Langmuir, Freundlich, Tempkin, Halsey, Harkins-Jura, Fowler-
Guggenheim), four three-parameter models (Redlich-Peterson, Khan, Radke-Prausnitz, and
Toth), two four-parameter equations (Fritz-Schlunder and Baudu) and one five-parameter
equation (Fritz-Schlunder). Three error analysis methods, correlation coefficient, chi-square
test and average relative errors, were applied to determine the best fit isotherm. The error
analysis showed that the models with more than two parameters better described the picric
acid sorption data compared to the two-parameter models. In particular, the Baudu equation
provided the best model for the picric acid sorption data for both methods.