Abstract: In this study, a sulfonated polystyrene sphere-supported α-zirconium phosphate composite (ZrP@D001H) was successfully prepared using an in-situ growth method and applied for the selective recovery of indium(III) from simulated acid leachates derived from waste liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and sphalerite. The effect of solution pH on adsorption performance was systematically investigated, and adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics were evaluated, along with the selective adsorption capacity and regeneration performance of the material. The results demonstrated that ZrP@D001H achieved a maximum adsorption capacity of 228.46 mg/g for In(III) within the pH range of 1.0–4.0. The adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model, and was characterized as spontaneous, endothermic, and entropy-driven. In the simulated leachate systems of sphalerite and LCDs, the distribution coefficients (Kd) of the material for In(III)reached 8751 mL/g and 6383 mL/g, respectively, significantly higher than those for coexisting metal ions, indicating excellent selective recognition capability. In dynamic adsorption experiments, under conditions of a bed height of 1.5 cm, a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min, and an initial concentration of 50 mg/L, the breakthrough volume reached 2583 bed volumes (BV). After eight adsorption–desorption cycles, the material retained over 90% of its initial adsorption capacity. Mechanistic studies revealed that the adsorption of In(III) onto ZrP@D001H follows a synergistic ion-exchange and coordination mechanism. This study provides a novel material with both high selectivity and stability, laying a technical foundation for the resource recovery of the critical metal indium.

Key words: α-zirconium phosphate, sulfonated polystyrene sphere, indium recovery, dynamic adsorption; synergistic mechanism