Preliminary Study of Novel Coal Spills-based Physical Activated Carbon for Copper ions Adsorption in Aqueous Solution: Kinetics and Isotherms

Dadang Ramadhan; Mahidin; Abrar Muslim; Sri Aprilia; Nasrul Arahman; Saiful; Maizirwan  Mel

Authors

Dadang Ramadhan Graduate School of Environmental Management, Postgraduate Program, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Darussalam, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Mahidin Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Darussalam, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Abrar Muslim Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Darussalam, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Sri Aprilia Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Darussalam, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Nasrul Arahman Graduate School of Environmental Management, Postgraduate Program, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Darussalam, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Saiful Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Science, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Darussalam, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Maizirwan Mel Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, International Islamic University, Malaysia

Keywords:

Coal spills, activated carbon, adsorption, copper, kinetics, isotherms

Abstract

This study proposed a novel activated carbon which was prepared from coal spills by physical activation. It was activated in tube furnace at 500 °C with nitrogen injection. Based on Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy analyses, the coal spills-based activated carbon (CSFAC) was expected to have more pores and cavities compared to the untreated coal spills (UCS). This preliminary study focused on adsorption kinetics and isotherms by investigating separately the effects of two independent variables i.e. contact time and initial Cu(II) ions concentration. The temperature of ion solution was set at 30 °C (1 atm) and initial pH 5. The Cu (II) ions adsorbed onto the CSFAC and USC had best fitting to the pseudo-second-order kinetics model with R 2 being 1.000 and 0.978, respectively. The Cu(II) ions equilibrium adsorption capacity and adsorption rate of the CSFAC were 90.909 mg/g and 0.093 g/mg.min respectively and they tracked well Freundlich adsorption isotherms with R 2 being 0.811 and 0.917, respectively. The Freundlich-based pore volume and adsorption intensity were 3.861 L/mg and 1.132 respectively. The Brunauer-Emmett-Tellersurface area and total pore volume of the CSFAC were approximately 50.848 m²/g and 0.018 cc/g respectively. Based on this research, CSFAC was found to be a good potential candidate to be used in water treatment in the near future.