Nor Asikin Awang, WN Wan Salleh, Ahmad Fauzi Ismail, Norhaniza Yusof, Farhana Aziz, Juhana Jaafar
Regenerated cellulose membrane (RCM) was successfully fabricated via the dissolution systems of 7 wt % NaOH/12 wt % urea. Extraction of cellulose sourced from recycled newspapers was done after undergoing alkali and NaClO2 treatment. The membrane was characterized by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). The capability of the membrane to act as the adsorbent was applied for the adsorption of chromium(VI) from aqueous solution. The Cr(VI) adsorption onto RCM was tested under different parameters, including the pH of the solution, the initial Cr(VI) concentration, and the contact time. The changes on the adsorbent after the adsorption of Cr(VI) was analyzed by using FTIR and SEM-EDAX. The optimum condition for the adsorption of Cr(VI) was noted at pH 2 for 100 ppm of Cr …