SURFACTANT MODIFICATION OF DURIAN PEELS FOR REMOVAL REMAZOL BRILLIANT ORANGE 3R (RBO3R) DYE FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS: A COLUMN STUDIES

Abstract

The feasibility of durian peel as a non-conventional low-cost adsorbent for the removal of Remazol Brilliant Orange 3R (RBO3R) was investigated. In this study, durian peel had been chemically modified by cationic surfactant cetylpyridinium chloride monohydrate (CPC) for the removal of RBO3R in a continuous adsorption process on a fixed-bed column. According to the results, the SMDP was found to be an efficient media for the removal of dye from wastewater. Bulk density and pH all seem to play important roles in the adsorption of RBO3R. SEM micrograph showed raw durian peel (RDP) have elongated fiber line with small pores while surfactant modified durian peel (SMDP) showed crater-like-holes with large pore space that increase active binding site on SMDP surface and improve adsorption processes. For FTIR analysis, a successful impregnation of CPC onto the surface of durian peel was presented at peak of 2853 cm-1 on SMDP showed C−H vibration of carbonyl group bands originated from CPC. At peak 3369 cm-1 on SMDP indicate the O-H group in cellulose. All important functional group such as carbonyl and hydroxyl on durian peel surface improve its performance as adsorbent in binding and sequestering RBO3R dyes from aqueous solution. In column studies, the breakthrough time (tb) depend strongly on column parameters which was initial dye concentration, column bed height and flow rate. The breakthrough time (tb) and dye removal efficiency was proportional to column bed height and inversely proportional to initial dye concentration and flow rate. This study suggests the potential application of durian peel as adsorbents as an alternative to activated carbon can overcome biomass waste problem and sequester dye from colouring wastewater.