Adsorption of Cr(VI) from Aqueous Solution onto a Mesoporous Carbonaceous Material Prepared from Naturally Occurring Pongamia pinnata Seeds

Abstract

In the present study, adsorption of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution by mesoporous Pongamia pinnata Carbonaceous Material (PPCM) as an excellent adsorbent derived from natural source was investigated. PPCM was prepared using simple chemical activation method and Cr(VI) detection by spectrophotometrically. The synthesized mesoporous carbonaceous material was characterized by FT-IR, PXRD, SEM before and after adsorption. Batch mode experiments were used to analyze the effect of various parameters like effect of pH, initial Cr(VI) concentration, adsorbent dose, and contact time on the adsorption capacity of Cr (VI) on PPCM . It was found that, maximum Cr(VI) removal (99.8%) was observed at pH 1.0 with sorption capacity of 194.6 mg g-1. The adsorption isotherms of Cr(VI) onto PPCM obtained were analyzed by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models and sorption data was better fitted by the Freundlich isotherm model. Adsorption kinetics were performed and obeys pseudo second order kinetic model. Experimental and kinetic results reveal that PPCM is a potential adsorbent in removal of Cr(VI) from waste water.