Adsorption of iron (III) by spent bleaching earth (SBE)-chitosan composite

Abstract

Spent Bleaching Earth (SBE) is a solid waste generated from the crude palm oil (CPO) bleaching process. SBE has potential as an adsorbent; however, its adsorption capacity is relatively limited and requires enhancement. In this study, the adsorption capacity of SBE was improved by compositing it with chitosan. The research aims to find the best composition of SBE and chitosan and then test its adsorption on Fe (III) which includes pH, contact time, isotherm study and calculation of adsorption capacity. Analysis Fe were measured using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The results of the study show that composite ratio variation SBE/Chitosan for Fe (III) adsorption is 4:1, as it exhibited the highest percentage removal of 93.34%. Adsorption of Fe(III) on the SBE-chitosan composite showed optimal performance at pH 7. with equilibrium time achieved in 50 minutes. The adsorption follows the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm, the maximum adsorption capacity determined from Langmuir model was 34.01 mgg−1.