Diffusion Mechanisms of Biosorption of Cr(VI) onto Powdered Cotton Stalk

Abstract

The present study investigates biosorption diffusion mechanism for the removal of toxic hexavalent chromium from aqueous solution using powdered cotton stalk an agricultural waste biomass. The effects of pH, temperature, adsorption isotherms, adsorption kinetics, and thermodynamic on chromium biosorption were investigated. The results showed that a maximum removal efficiency of 95% was achieved at pH 2. The pH at zero point charge (pH_zpc) on biosorbent surface was 4.3. The adsorption kinetics showed that the pseudo-second order rate expression fitted well the biosrption process. The equilibrium isotherm was measured experimentally and results were analyzed by Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherms using linearized correlation coefficients. The significant parameters for isotherms were determined. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm relative to two other isotherms was found to fit the equilibrium data best for chromium adsorption. Thermodynamic studies reveal that the biosorption of Cr(VI) on cotton stalk was endothermic, spontaneous and occurs with increase in disorder at solid-liquid interface. Adsorption diffusion kinetic was further analyzed and showed that biosorption mechanism was totally controlled by intraparticle diffusion mechanism.

Keywords:

• Bioenergetics
• biosorption
• diffusion
• free energy
• intraparticle

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Mr. P. A. Inamdar, President of M.C.E. Society for providing financial assistance and the infrastructural facility under ISTRA Research Academy, Pune, India.