The adsorption of phosphate onto alunite in a batch adsorber has been studied. Four kinetic models including pseudo first- and second-order equation, intraparticle diffusion equation and the Elovich equation were selected to follow the adsorption process. Kinetic parameters, rate constants, equilibrium adsorption capacities and related correlation coefficients, for each kinetic model were calculated and discussed. It was shown that the adsorption of phosphate onto alunite could be described by the pseudo second-order equation. Adsorption of phosphate onto alunite followed the Langmuir isotherm, A model has been used for the design of a two-stage batch adsorber based on pseudo second-order adsorption kinetics. The model has been optimized with respect to operating time in order to minimize total operating time to achieve a specified amount of phosphate removal using a fixed mass of adsorbent. The results of two-stage batch adsorber design studies showed that the required times for specified amounts of phosphate removal significantly decreased. It is particularly suitable for low-cost adsorbents/adsorption systems when minimising operating time is a major operational and design criterion, such as, for highly congested industrial sites in which significant volume of effluent need to be treated in the minimum amount of time. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.