2173 * For correspondence. Oxidation Communications 38, No 4A, 2173–2188 (2015) Technological aspects of oxidation processes PREPARATION AND CHARACTERISATION OF XANTHATED Lagenaria vulgaris SHELL BIOSORBENT M. M. KOSTIC a *, I. J. SLIPPER b , M. D. ANTONIJEVIC a , J. Z. MITROVIC a , M. D. RADOVIC a , D. V. BOJIC a , A. L. BOJIC a a Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, University of Nis, 33 Visegradska Street, 18 000 Nis, Serbia E-mail: mk484475@gmail.com b School of Science, Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, Kent, ME4 4TB, UK ABSTRACT Preparation and characterisation of chemically modifed, improved biosorbent, xan- thated Lagenaria vulgaris shell (xLVB), and its application for Cu(II) ions removal from aqueous solutions, were investigated in the present study. The chemically modi- fed material was characterised by using FTIR, SEM and EDX analysis. Equilibrium isotherms and kinetics were obtained and the effect of various parameters including contact time, initial pH, biosorbent dosage, particle size, temperature, initial Cu(II) concentration was studied under batch conditions. xLVB was applied to test the sorption of Cu(II) ions in batch column system with recirculation of aqueous phase. The experimental data were best ftted by using pseudo-second order kinetics and the Langmuir isotherm model; equilibrium within less than 40 min and sorption capacity of 25.2 mg g –1 for Cu(II) ions, at 20°C were achieved. With increasing temperature from 10 to 40°C the free energy change was negative, suggesting that the biosorption was exothermic and spontaneous. Keywords: copper(II), kinetics, sorption, thermodynamics, xanthated biomaterial. AIMS AND BACKGROUND Toxic heavy metals are released into the biosphere via the source of heavy metal include natural sources, mining, smelting, agrochemicals and sewage sludge applications, and livestock manure uses and spread into the environment. Their presence in the environment can be detrimental to people, plants and animals. Rapid industrialisation throughout the world has generated huge volumes of waste containing heavy metals.