Removal of Nickel (Ii) from Water by Agricultural Waste : Cotton Seed (Ciba Pentadra)

N. Lakshmi and K. Srinivasan*

Department of Chemistry, College of Engineering, Salem- 636 011 (India)

Activated carbon prepared from bicarbonate treated cotton seed (BCSC) has been used for the adsorption of Ni(ll) over a range of initial metal ion concentrations (10-20mg/L), agitation time (30-240mins), adsorbent dosage (25-300mg/100ml) and pH (1-10). Quantitative removal of Ni(ll) takes place with its initial concentration of 10 mg/L and with the equilibration time of 180-240 minutes for BCSC dose of 100 mg/L. The process of uptake obeys freundlich and langmuir isotherm. The kinetics of adsorption obeyed a first order rate equation. The adsorption of Ni(ll) on BCSC follows film diffusion process. 90% removal of Ni(ll) was noticed for 10 mg/L of Ni(II) in 100 ml by 100 mg adsorbent over a pH range of 4.0-8.0. The efficiency of BCSC is compared with a commercial granular activated carbon (CAC)

Cotton seed carbon; Commercial activated carbon; Adsorption; Nickel; Isotherm; Kinetics; pH effect