Adsorption Study of the Removal of Copper (II) Ions using Activated Carbon Based Canarium Schweinfurthii Shells Impregnated with ZnCl2

Abstract

The adsorption of Cu2+ions on activated carbon based canarium schweinfurthii impregnated with ZnCl2 was studied. The shells of canarium schweinfurthii were impregnated with ZnCl2 at varying ZnCl2 concentrations, temperature, residence time while keeping the heating rate fixed at 10 °C / min and the ratio of impregnation of 1:1. The activated carbon with the highest surface area in term of iodine number of 860,817 mg/g, the highest methylene blue of 741,6 mg/g and 74,66 % of yield of carbon was obtained at 650 °C, 60 % ZnCl 2 and 30min. From the batch adsorption studies, the equilibrium time was found to be 40 min. Analysis of equilibrium isotherm models revealed a good correlation of the experimental data with the Tempkin (R 2 = 0.909) model. This confirms a high affinity of the activated carbon for Cu 2+ ions on the heterogeneous surface. The value of energy obtained from the Tempkin model was 60,606 J/mol and the presence of pics between 487 cm-1 to 871 cm-1 indicating that physisorption and chemisorption were taking place during this sorption. The pseudo-second order kinetics(R 2 = 0.999) governs the adsorption of Cu2+ions on this activated carbon.