Adsorption Characteristics of Germanium on Silica Gel

Adsorption characteristics of germanium on silica gel were studied. Results show that the adsorption process can basically achieve the state of adsorption equilibrium within 15 min. The high-concentration HNO₃ environment is favorable for the adsorption of Ge on silica gel. The adsorption rate is increasing with the system temperature. The concentration of Ge should be over 0.65 g/L. The adsorption process meets the Langmuir adsorption model and can also satisfy the Freundlich adsorption model. The adsorption process is an endothermic process, and the adsorption of Ge on silica gel can be best described by first order kinetics.