Biosorption of hexavalent chromium from aqueous solution by polyethyleneimine-modified ultrasonic-assisted acid hydrochar from Sargassum horneri

Water Sci Technol. 2020 Mar;81(6):1114-1129. doi: 10.2166/wst.2020.167.

Abstract

In this study, an efficient route to synthesizing polyethyleneimine-modified ultrasonic-assisted acid hydrochar (PEI-USAH) is developed and reported. Ultrasonic irradiation technique was used as surface modification method to shorten the crosslinking reaction for hydrochar and polyethyleneimine (PEI). The PEI-USAH showed an excellent adsorption capacity for Cr(VI) from aqueous solution. The physicochemical properties of this PEI-modified adsorbent were comparatively characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis and CNHS analysis. The effects of contact time, initial pH, and biosorbent dose on adsorption capacities were investigated. The batch adsorption experiments showed that PEI-USAH possessed the maximum adsorption capacities of 94.38 mg/g and 330.84 mg/g for initial Cr(VI) concentration of 100 mg/L and 500 mg/L, respectively. Furthermore, this adsorption process could be fitted to Langmuir adsorption and described by the pseudo second order kinetic model. Based on the above findings, PEI-USAH could be used as a potential adsorbent for removal of Cr(VI) from wastewater.

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption
  • Chromium
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Kinetics
  • Polyethyleneimine
  • Sargassum*
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
  • Ultrasonics
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical*

Substances

  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Chromium
  • chromium hexavalent ion
  • Polyethyleneimine