EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES AND DESIGN OF BATCH REACTOR FOR SORPTION OF Cu(II) IONS ONTO POLYMERIZED TAMARIND FRUIT SHELL CATION EXCHANGER

A new cation exchanger (PGTFS-SP-COOH) was prepared from tamarind fruit shell (TFS) and used for the uptake of Cu(II) ions from aqueous solutions by batch mode. Cu(II) adsorption was dependent on the pH of the medium, and maximum adsorption was observed at an initial pH of 6.0. The equilibrium was attained within 2h. The adsorption kinetics was best described by pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The effect of adsorbent dose, particle size, and ionic strength of the medium on Cu(II) adsorption was studied. The equilibrium data tend to fit the Sips isotherm model, and the model parameters were regressed to yield mathematical relations connecting isotherm constants such as , K s , and m S with the particle size of the adsorbent. PGTFS-SP-COOH was evaluated for its efficiency in Cu(II) recovery from electroplating wastewater. The reusability of the spent adsorbent for several cycles was demonstrated using 0.2M HCl solution. The results prove that PGTFS-SP-COOH can be used as a potential environmentally benign adsorbent for Cu(II) removal from aqueous solutions.