Abstract
This study offers an integrated process for treatment and recycling of tannery waste, it has a dual purpose. First the activated carbon (AC) has been prepared from leather shaving (LS) and goat hair (GH) by physical activation. Both the raw material and the prepared activated carbon were analyzed by DTG, TGA, and SEM. The adsorption tests of methylene blue (MB) and iodine onto the raw material and the prepared adsorbent were carried out and it was found that the adsorption capacity of the activated carbon was enhanced by the physical activation. The AC was then characterized by BET surface area and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The BET surface area was found to be 491.05 and 242.60 m2/g for ACs prepared from LS and GH respectively and the functional groups on the adsorbent surface were mainly CN, NH, OH, CO and CS. Secondly, the performance of the prepared AC was assessed by adsorption of chrome (VI) from a synthetic solution, and then the chrome (III) present in the tanning effluent. The results revealed a decrease of chromium by 78% and 73% for the activated carbons prepared from (LS) and (GH), respectively.
Highlights
Tanneries industries generate a lot of waste that has negative impact on the environment and human health
The weight loss was more significant from temperature 175.5 to 631°C; this is due to removal of volatile organic substances and moisture, with a weight loss of 52.1%
For DTG analysis, figure 2b, which is a thermal analysis technique to measure the endothermic and exothermic transitions as a function of the temperature, the analysis shows a peak between 38 to 318.7°C which corresponds to a first departure of water according to an endothermic reaction (∆H = 693.5 J / g), the start of release of volatile organic materials according to an endothermic reaction (∆H = 617 J / g)
Summary
Tanneries industries generate a lot of waste that has negative impact on the environment and human health. The threat is the dumping of its solid and liquid waste that contains dangerous leftovers such as proteinaceous colloids, fats, tannins, flesh and hair, as well as toxic elements such as sulfides and chromium. All these "tailings" are a source of pollution and wastage that the leather industry cannot afford specially during this crisis period that lasted for several years, and is going from bad to worse. When chromium Cr (III) is released in the nature, it is oxidized to hexavalent chromium Cr (VI) form which is known to be both acutely and chronically toxic to human, even when present in low concentrations. The adsorption capacity of the carbons prepared was investigated
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