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Adsorption of Ni++ ions from aqueous solution onto microwave irradiated Sterculia foetida fruit shells

Nirmala Gnanasundaram (Mass Transfer Laboratory, Chemical Engineering Division, School of Mechanical and Building Sciences, VIT University, Vellore, India)
Aruna Singh (Mass Transfer Laboratory, Chemical Engineering Division, School of Mechanical and Building Sciences, VIT University, Vellore, India)
M Ganesapillai (Mass Transfer Laboratory, Chemical Engineering Division, School of Mechanical and Building Sciences, VIT University, Vellore, India)

Management of Environmental Quality

ISSN: 1477-7835

Article publication date: 11 January 2016

216

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to harness the potential of microwave pre-treatment to prepare carbon from locally available Sterculia foetida fruit shells for adsorption of heavy metals, particularly Nickel ions (Ni++), from effluent.

Design/methodology/approach

The pre-treatment methods comprise conventional methods as sun drying and oven drying as well as high intensity microwave drying. Response surface methodology was employed to analyse the optimization of the process. The adsorption behavioural characteristics of the material were established applying adsorption isotherms.

Findings

Adsorption of Ni++ was found to be effective in microwave drying at output power of 300 W. It was observed that the maximum adsorption capacity was attained at pH 6; an adsorbent dosage of 0.25 mgml−1 and initial metal ion concentration of 20 ppm with an interactive effect of initial concentration and dosage.

Originality/value

The research puts emphasise on prospecting of novel biomass for carbonization and application of the same for effective adsorption. Available literature on Sterculia foetida is very limited and this work will serve to create database on the amenability of processing.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the research facility provided by VIT University, Vellore, India. The authors would like to express thanks to the organizers of Bioenergy Environment and Sustainable Technologies 2015 (BEST 2015) for their valuable comments and continuous support.

Citation

Gnanasundaram, N., Singh, A. and Ganesapillai, M. (2016), "Adsorption of Ni++ ions from aqueous solution onto microwave irradiated Sterculia foetida fruit shells", Management of Environmental Quality, Vol. 27 No. 1, pp. 59-70. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-06-2015-0106

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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