Filter material based on zeolite-activated charcoal from cocoa shells as ammonium adsorbent in greywater treatment

Abstract

• Filter Zeolite-Activated Charcoal from Cocoa Shells characterized by Porosity, Hardness, XRD and SEM EDX. • Filter with the best physical test is a filter with a composition of (75:25) % that is sintered at a temperature of 700°C. • Improved mesoporous characteristics coupled with ion-exchange significantly enhanced the ammonium removal capability of Zeolite-Activated Charcoal from Cocoa Shells. • Ammonium removal efficiency of Zeolite-Activated Charcoal from Cocoa Shells up to 68.25 %. A filter based on zeolite-activated charcoal cocoa shells has been made as an ammonium absorber in greywater. The two filter materials, Zeolite as matrix and activated charcoal of cocoa shells as filler, were first prepared in powder form with a size of 75 µm (200 mesh). The zeolite matrix was chemically activated using 1 M NaCl solution and dried at 100 °C for 24 hours, while the activated charcoal filler of cocoa shell was carbonized at 150°C for 1 hour. The filters were printed using a hydraulic press with a given mass of 5 tons for 10 minutes, with variations in the composition of zeolite and activated charcoal cocoa shell in the filter, namely (75:25) %, (80:20) %, (85:15) %, (90:10) %, (95:5) %, (100:0) %. The filters were then physically activated with sintering process at temperature variations of 700 °C, 800 °C, and 900 °C, for 4 hours. The physical and mechanical properties of the filters were characterized to determine the value of porosity, water absorption and hardness of the filters. Filter with the optimum physical test was found in the sample with the composition of (75:25) % which is sintered at a temperature of 700 °C. This filter is known to have with a porosity value of 53.01%, water absorption capacity of 53.10%. Meanwhile, the filter with the best hardness value was found in the sample with a composition of (100:0) % which was sintered at a temperature of 900°C with a value of 351.31 MPa. The test application of the filter as an ammonium absorber revealed that the filter was capable to reduce the ammonium concentration in greywater treatment up to 75.95 %.