ENIVRONMENT ASIA

Volume 13, No. S, Month JANUARY, Year 2020, Pages 46 - 53

Adsorption efficiency of copper and nickel by activated carbon from coffee ground

On-uma Trakoolsa, Wilasinee Yoochatchaval

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This study investigates the efficiency of coffee ground for copper and nickel adsorption. The coffee ground was carbonized at 700 °C and activated by sodium hydroxide (CGNa). The CGNa has many pores with varying sizes. Moreover, chemical bonds were broken during the carbonization and activation process. It composed mainly mesopores of 73%, Brunauer Emmett and Teller (BET) surface area of 274.02 m2/g, and average pore size diameters of 4.34 nm. The CGNa was used as adsorbent and it showed good adsorption efficiency for copper and nickel. Under pH 3 and 5 condition, the maximum adsorption capacity at equilibrium (qm) of copper and nickel was 2.09 mgCu/gCGNa and 1.04 mgNi/gCGNa, respectively. The optimum time for copper and nickel adsorption were determined at 5 minutes. The isotherm model which fits to experimental data was Langmuir model that shows monolayer coverage of copper and nickel on the sorption site of CGNa. As a result, utilization of coffee ground as an alternative activated carbon is useful to adsorb copper and nickel.

Keywords

Adsorption, Activation, Coffee Ground, Copper and Nickel

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