Kinetics, Isotherm and Thermodynamic Studies of the Reclusion of Cu (II) from Aqueous Solution by Maize Cob and Sugarcane Pulp

Abstract

Over the years, heavy metal contamination of the environment, through industrial waste had been a perennial problem to which biosorption is being proposed as solution in recent studies. The biosorption characteristics of Cu (II) ion using maize and saccharumofficinarum (sugarcane pulp) were investigated by contacting 0.5g of the biomass with 10ml of 100mg/L solution of the metal ions. Experimental parameters affecting the biosorption process such as pH, contact time, concentration and temperature were studied. Langmuir and Freundlich models were applied to describe the biosorption isotherms. The biosorption capacities of maize cob and saccharumofficinarum were found to be sufficiently high to consider the biomasses used as substances that could be employed in the removal of Cu (II) ions from waste water. The calculated thermodynamic parameters, G⁰, for biosorption of Cu (II) on to cob and bagasse determine at pH 5.0 and 301k, are -1.5KJmol^-1 and -2.505KJmol^-1 respectively. This showed that the biosorption of Cu (II) ions onto maize cob and saccharumofficinarum was feasible and spontaneous at 301K.