Sarala Selambakkannu, Nor Azillah Fatimah Othman, Khomsaton Abu Bakar, Shakirah Abdul Shukor, Zulhairun Abdul Karim
Chemically modified fibrous bio-adsorbent extracted from banana trunk was synthesized for potential application in adsorption of heavy metal from wastewater. Glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) polymer graft was first introduced onto the fiber through electron beam irradiation technique. GMA-grafted fiber was subsequently functionalized with imidazole (IMI) group through epoxide ring-opening reaction where amine density of 2.00 mmol/g was achieved. The adsorbent was characterized with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA). An extensive kinetic and mechanistic study on the adsorptive removal of metal ions (Cu2+, Pb2+ and Zn2+) by IMI-functionalized GMA-grafted banana fiber is presented. The effects of pH and initial concentration on adsorption capacity were investigated. The adsorption data were correlated with …
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969806X18304407