Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice, Eastern Cape, South Africa; Applied Chemistry and Nanoscience Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Vaal University of Technology, P. O. Box X021, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
Vala, R.M.K., Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice, Eastern Cape, South Africa, Applied Chemistry and Nanoscience Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Vaal University of Technology, P. O. Box X021, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa; Tichagwa, L., Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice, Eastern Cape, South Africa; Dikio, E.D., Applied Chemistry and Nanoscience Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Vaal University of Technology, P. O. Box X021, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
This study reports the chemical modification of lignocellulose (from Kikuyu grass) with N-terminated siloxanes and its utilisation as adsorbent for the removal of phenol red from aqueous media. The stability of the bond between lignocellulose and siloxane was assessed after Soxhlet extraction of unreacted siloxanes in tetrahydrofuran for 5 h, as well as soaking the materials in water for 24 h. Adsorption tests showed the prepared materials to be good candidate for the removal of phenol red (dye) from water, with adsorption capacity from 1.454 to 3.312 mg of phenol red adsorbed per gram of adsorbent. The kinetics of adsorption was found to follow a pseudo-second-order equation indicating chemisorption rather than simple forces of association. The linearised form of adsorption isotherms matched with the Langmuir model. © 2014, Islamic Azad University (IAU).
Adsorbents; Adsorption; Cellulose; Chemical modification; Driers (materials); Dyes; Enzyme kinetics; Isotherms; Lignin; Phenols; Silicon compounds; Adsorption capacities; Adsorption tests; Langmuir models; Lignocellulose; Phenol red; Pseudo-second-order equations; Soxhlet extraction; Tetra-hydrofuran; Chemicals removal (water treatment); adsorption; aqueous solution; cellulose; chemical alteration; chemical bonding; experimental apparatus; grafting; grass; heterocyclic oxygen compound; isotherm; kinetics; laboratory method; organometallic compound; phenolic compound; water treatment; Pennisetum