EQUILIBRIUM AND KINETIC STUDY OF ADSORPTION OF NICKEL FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTION ONTO BAEL TREE LEAF POWDER

The ability of bael tree (BT) leaf powder to adsorb nickel, Ni2+, from aqueous solutions has been investigated through batch experiments. The Ni2+ adsorption was found to be dependent on adsorbent dosage, initial concentration and contact time. All batch experiments were carried out at natural solution pH and at a constant temperature of 30 degrees C using wrist-action shaker that operated at 120 rpm. The experimental isotherm data were analyzed using the Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin equations. The monolayer adsorption capacity is 1.527 mg Ni per g BT leaf powder. The experiments showed that highest removal rate was 60.21% for Ni2+ under optimal conditions. The kinetic processes of Ni2+ adsorption on BT leaf powder were described by applying pseudo-firstorder and pseudo-second-order rate equations. The kinetic data for the adsorption process obeyed pseudo-second-order rate equations. The BT leaf powder investigated in this study exhibited a high potential for the removal of Ni2+ from aqueous solution.