Preparation of a Novel Activated Carbon from Cassava Sludge for the High-Efficiency Adsorption of Hexavalent Chromium in Potable Water: Adsorption Performance and Mechanism Insight

Abstract

Particularly, because of the leakage risk of metal elements from sludge carbon, little attention has been focused on using sludge activated carbon as an adsorbent for the removal of Cr (VI) from contaminated water sources. Herein, a novel sludge carbon derived from dewatered cassava sludge was synthesized by pyrolysis using ZnCl2 as an activator at the optimal conditions. The prepared sludge activated carbon possessed a large BET surface (509.03 m2/g), demonstrating an efficient removal for Cr (VI). Although the time to reach equilibrium was extended by increasing the initial Cr (VI) concentration, the adsorption process was completed within 3 h. The kinetics of adsorption agreed with the Elovich model. The whole adsorption rate was controlled by both film and intra-particle diffusion. The Cr (VI) removal efficiency increased with elevating temperature, and the adsorption equilibrium process followed the Freundlich isotherm model. The adsorption occurred spontaneously with endothermic nature. The removal mechanism of Cr (VI) on the prepared sludge activated carbon depended highly on solution pH, involving pore filling, electrostatic attraction, reduction, and ion exchange. The trace leakage of metal elements after use was confirmed. Therefore, the prepared sludge activated carbon was considered to be a highly potential adsorbent for Cr (VI) removal from contaminated raw water.