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Abstract
In this study, removal of mercury(II) ions from aqueous solutions under different experimental conditions using formaldehyde polymerized banana stem (FPBS) has been investigated. Formaldehyde treatment favored the stabilization of the organic substances of banana stem (BS). The adsorbent was characterized using IR, SEM, TG, and potentiometric titration methods. The adsorption efficiency of FPBS was compared with BS and the result showed that FPBS was found to be 1.8 times more effective than BS for mercury(II) removal. The maximum removal of 99.3 and 99.1%, respectively, for 10 and 25 mg/L in 50 mL initial concentrations was obtained at pH 7.0. Kinetic studies revealed that the adsorption occurred in two stages: external mass transport in the first stage and intra-particular diffusion in the second stage. Adsorption was found to be rapid and equilibrium was attained in 60 min. The adsorption equilibrium data fitted the Freundlich isotherm equation reasonably well. The maximum adsorption capacity of FPBS for mercury(II) was found to be 132.25 mg/g. Desorption experiments showed that the process of adsorption was reversible and the adsorbent was easily regenerated with 0.1 M HCl up to 96.0% recovery.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors are thankful to the Professor and Head, Department of Chemistry, University of Kerala, for providing laboratory facilities.