K. GEETHA, M. MANJULA DEVI, S. RAMESH CHANDRAN, S.V. SARAVANAN AND M. SELVARAJ
Abstract
The carbonaceous sorbent prepared from the plant waste (Artemesia vulgaris) by acid treatment was converted to activated carbon. It was tested for its efficiency in removing heavy metal like Cr (VI)from automotive industry effluent .The batch mode adsorption experiments were carried out and the carbonization of plant waste, characterization of carbon were studied. The factors affecting the rate process involved in the elimination of metal for initial metal concentration, agitation time, carbon dose and particle size have been studied at room temperature. The adsorption process followed first order kinetics. The first order rate equations of Lagergren and Venkobatcharbhattacharya were tested on the kinetic data, and isotherm data were analyzed for possible agreement with the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm equations. The intra particle diffusion was tested by Weber-Morris equation. It is found to be the rate determining step and it is an activated adsorption and obeys first order kinetics. The rate of elimination of Cr (VI) ion is found to be 2.2 mg/g min 0.5 at 10mg/L if initial metal ion concentration. The present adsorbateadsorbent system is found to obey the Freundlich equation.