Adsorption of Hexavalent Chromium Using Banana Pseudostem Biochar and Its Mechanism

Shuang Xu, Weiguang Yu, Sen Liu, Congying Xu, Jihui Li and Yucang Zhang
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Shuang Xu: Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Advanced Materials in Tropical Island Resources, College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Weiguang Yu: Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Advanced Materials in Tropical Island Resources, College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Sen Liu: Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Advanced Materials in Tropical Island Resources, College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Congying Xu: Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Advanced Materials in Tropical Island Resources, College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Jihui Li: Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Advanced Materials in Tropical Island Resources, College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Yucang Zhang: Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Advanced Materials in Tropical Island Resources, College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 11, 1-12

Abstract: A low-cost biochar was prepared through slow pyrolysis of banana pseudostem biowaste at different temperatures, and characterized by surface area and porosity analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was shown that the biochar prepared at low pyrolysis temperature was rich in oxygen-containing groups on the surface. Adsorption experiments revealed that the biochar prepared at 300 °C (BB300) was the best adsorbent for Cr(VI) with 125.44 mg/g maximum adsorption capacity at pH 2 and 25 °C. All the adsorption processes were well described by pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models, indicating a monolayer chemiadsorption. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that adsorption of Cr(VI) was mainly attributed to reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) followed by ion exchange and complexation with the biochar.

Keywords: biochar; banana pseudostem; chromium; adsorption mechanism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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