Removal of chromium (VI) from aqueous solution using surfactant impregnated activated carbon

Adsorption process using Surfactant Impregnated Activated Carbon (SIAC) was studied to remove chromium (VI) from aqueous solution. Objective of this study was to investigate the effect of anionic surfactant on the adsorption of hexavalent chromium onto activated carbon by using Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (SLSA) as surfactant. Different surfactant concentrations impregnated onto the activated carbon was studied on the removal of hexavalent chromium in aqueous solution. Surfactant impregnated activated carbon was prepared at temperature 60 ºC and 130 rpm placed in incubator shaker for 24 hours. For this study, several analyses were conducted using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and also Atomic Adsorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). Based on the result of this study, it shows that the removal of Cr (VI) using Surfactant Impregnated Activated Carbon (SIAC) decreases as concentration of surfactant increases due to the electrostatic repulsion of hexavalent chromium that exists as dichromate (Cr2O72-) ions with the surface functional group of SIAC. Anionic surfactant has proven not effective for the removal of Cr (VI) ions as the percent removal for 2 mg/L of surfactant is at 45.65% compare to percent removal for 35 mg/L of surfactant is at 36.53%. From this study, Langmuir 3 (Eadie-Hofstee) has been chosen as the best adsorption isotherm model that explained the adsorption behavior as homogeneous.