Adsorption of Cr(VI) Ions using Activated Carbon Produced from Indian Water Chestnut (Trapa natans) Peel Powder

Abstract

The indiscriminate discharge of heavy metals into water and soil from anthropogenic practices is becoming prominent threat to the environment. Heavy metals like chromium, cadmium, lead, arsenic, nickel etc. are heavily toxic and carcinogenic in nature. This study emphasizes the adequacy of activated water chest nut (Trapa natans) peel powder as a new adsorbent material for removal of chromium(VI) metal ions. Adsorption experiments were performed in batch process. Various process parameters like contact time, temperature, solution pH, dose of adsorbent, metal ion concentration etc. were optimized. The physico-chemical properties of adsorbent material were characterized by FTIR and XRD. The morphology, topology of adsorbent surface was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) which revealed a highly porous structure and available specific surface area. The adsorption capacity (maximum) was counted as 59.17 mg/g and specific surface area was found 23.467 m2/g at a pH 7. The adsorption process for Cr(VI) ions was in a good agreement with Langmuir isotherm. The process also followed pseudo second order kinetics. The obtained result shows that activated water chest nut (Trapa natans) peel powder (AWCPP) can be a hopeful low-cost and eco-friendly bio-adsorbent for removal of Cr(VI) metal ions and also better adsorbent than other various reported adsorbents.