Heavy Metal Adsorption Using Cellulose Xanthate from Sugarcane Bagasse: A Fixed-Bed Column Study

In recent years, various environmentally friendly adsorbents have been developed to address the removal of heavy metals from industrial wastewater. This study focuses on the adsorption of lead (Pb²⁺) and copper (Cu²⁺) using cellulose xanthate derived from sugarcane bagasse as an adsorbent. The adsorption experiments were conducted in a fixed-bed column with dimensions of 2.4 cm in diameter and 8 cm in height. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) was used to analyze the concentrations of Pb²⁺ and Cu²⁺ before and after adsorption, while the adsorbent composition was characterized using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF). The breakthrough times for Pb²⁺ and Cu²⁺ adsorption was found to be 8 and 6 minutes, respectively, with total adsorption durations of 18.584 and 17.543 minutes. The Thomas Model was employed to evaluate the kinetics and adsorption capacity, yielding kinetic constants (KTH) of 0.00283 and 0.0006 mL/mg.min for Pb²⁺ and Cu²⁺, respectively, and adsorption capacities (qeq) of 712.89 and 181.18 mg/g. These results provide valuable insights into the adsorbent’s efficiency, kinetics, and potential applications in environmental remediation and wastewater treatment.