Adsorption of lead ion from aqueous solution unto cellulose nanocrystal from cassava peel

Abstract

Abstract Acid hydrolysis was used for the synthesis of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) from cassava peel (CP). The process was carried out at 450C for 45 min using 64% concentrated sulphuric acid, Pb2+ was removed from aqueous solution using the synthesized CNC adsorbent. Cassava peel cellulose nanocrystal (CPCNC) was characterised using FT-IR and X-Ray diffraction techniques. The different operational factors were examined to enhance the conditions for optimum adsorption of Pb2+. The equilibrium adsorption figures fitted well into both the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models, indicating that adsorption was due to the formation of a monolayer adsorption unto a homogenous surface and showed a good relationship between the Pb2+ and the CPCNC. The separation factor, RL, which is a dimensionless constant ranged between 0.02 and 0.248 and indicated that the adsorption was feasible and favourable. The optimum adsorption capacity was 6.4 mg Pb2+/g CNC at 25°C and pH 6. This study revealed that this novel nanomaterial has an unlimited prospect for effective removal of lead ion from aqueous solution.