STUDY ON MANUFACTURING PANi/SUGARCANE BAGASSE COMPOSITE FOR AMMONIUM ADSORPTION IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION

Abstract

In this study, PANi-based composite material with sugarcane bagasse as carrier (PANi/sugarcane bagasse) were synthesized by chemical method and used to adsorb ammonium in aqueous solution. The characteristics of PANi/sugarcane bagasse were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area. The ammonium adsorption capacity of the material was investigated by studying the effects of solution pH, adsorption time and initial ammonium concentration. The adsorption isotherm was studied based on the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm adsorption models. The results show that the adsorption process follows the Langmuir isotherm adsorption model with the maximum ammonium adsorption capacity of PANi/sugarcane bagasse estimated to be 87.72 mg.g^-1 at an initial ammonium concentration of 20 mg/L, pH = 6, material content of 0.6 g/L and contact time of 20 min. The PANi/ sugarcane bagasse composite material promises to be a material capable of treating ammonium in water quite well.