ADSORPTION STUDIES OF FULLERS EARTH NANOCOMPOSITES FOR THE REMOVAL OF COPPER AND REACTIVE YELLOW 18

Abstract

Fuller's earth of D. G. Khan was used as a low-cost adsorbent to remove copper and reactive yellow 18 from aqueous solutions as it has the capacity of adsorption of toxic particles in its structure. Because of this capacity to take up the ionic component, utilization of fuller's earth has experimented for the purification of wastewater in the laboratory. Sampling and physical processing by grinding and sieving/classification were conducted. Characterization of fuller's earth (adsorbent) was carried out by X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR). The result of XRF revealed the presence of large proportion of metal oxides like TiO2 (0.78%), Fe2O3 (3.13%), Al2O3 (12.38%), MgO (2.16%), CaO (10.73%), Na2O (0.22%), P2O5 (0.11%), Cl (0.03%), K2O (2.63%), MnO (0.03%), C (1.30%) and SiO2 (66.31%) in the fullers earth. SEM images show the morphology, porous nature, and different micro size particles of the adsorbent. FTIR results show the presence of different functional groups. The batch adsorption process was performed, and different operating parameters such as contact time, the concentration of fuller's earth, adsorbate concentration, pH values, and temperature were evaluated to find the maximum level of adsorption. Contact time of 100 minutes, 100 mg/L initial adsorbate concentration, 0.5 g adsorbent dosage at 65 oC temperature are the optimum values at which percentage removal is maximum, i.e., 96% for copper at pH 6 and 68% for reactive yellow 18 at pH two by Fullers earth was achieved. The solid addition method describes the pH point of zero charges, which is 4 for fuller's earth. Maximum adsorption at high temperature indicates that this adsorption process is endothermic.