A Study of the Removal Characteristics of Cu (II) Ions from Aqueous Solutions By a Low-Cost Adsorbent

Abstract

Heavy metal pollution has become one of the most critical environmental problems
throughout the world today, since they persist in the environment without degradation.
Present study explores the feasibility of using Jak wood sawdust as a low cost adsorbent, for
the removal of Cu(II) ions from aqueous solutions. Batch mode process was carried out to
investigate the effect of contact time, initial metal concentration, particle size, pH and
temperature with the dosage of 0.500 g sawdust treated with 0.1% sodium hydroxide.
Maximum adsorption for Cu(II) was observed at pH 7 having the particle size 107-150 μm.
Percentage removal of Cu(II) increased when temperature was varied from 20 C to 70 C.
Langmuir, Freundlich and D-R isotherms were obtained at 30±0.2 C. Applicability of
pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, intra-particle diffusion and liquid-film diffusion
kinetic models were investigated at 30±0.2 C. Cu(II) removal by Jack wood sawdust obeyed
pseudo-second order kinetic model, Langmuir and D-R isotherms. Maximum removal
capacity obtained from Langmuir and D-R isotherms are 6.26 and 5.51 mg g-1 respectively.
Thermodynamic parameters ΔG, ΔS and ΔH obtained for the removal was (-) 8,52 kJmol-1
and 0.2 kJmol-1K-1 respectively indicating the removal process is favourable and
spontaneous. IR analysis of sawdust before and after the removal of Cu(II) was carried out to
identify the possible functional groups responsible for the removal and significant changes in
the intensities of functional groups of metal loaded sawdust was observed with shifts in
positions of some peaks. This research can be considered as a demonstration of using a waste
material (sawdust) having a low economic value to solve an environmental problem such as
decontamination of industrial effluents.
Keywords: Jak wood sawdust, Copper removal