Adsorptive removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution using activated carbon of Enset root (Ensete ventricosum)
Dereje Wedajo Mamo, Tsegaye Girma Asere, Tesfaye Haile Habtemariam
Abstract
This study aimed to produce activated carbon (AC) from Enset ( Ensete ventricosum ) root via chemical activation with phosphoric acid. It assessed the adsorbent's capability to remove Cr (VI) from wastewater, using the adsorption percentage as the response variable. The ideal condition for the phosphoric acid-treated Enset root AC was carbonization at 400 °C for three hours. The findings confirmed that Enset root is a viable raw material for activated carbon with comparable properties to other known activated carbons. The adsorption efficiency reached 99.42 % for Cr(VI) at pH 3 over 180 minutes. Kinetic studies indicated that Cr(VI) removal adhered to pseudo-second-order kinetics at the optimized conditions. Furthermore, the study demonstrated multilayer adsorption of Cr(VI) on the adsorbent's surface, consistent with the Freundlich isotherm model.