<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language: HI" lang="EN-GB">Removal of Ni(II) ions from aqueous solution by using low cost biosorbent prepared from jackfruit (<i>Artocarpus heterophyllus</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">) leaf powder</span></span>

Abstract

Batch adsorption technique is utilized for the removal of Ni(II) ions in aqueous solution by jackfruit leaf powder (JLP) under different experimental conditions. Jackfruit (<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Artocarpus heterophyllus</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"> L., family Moraceae) leaf powder (JLP) has been prepared from clean, mature leaves of the tree, which are dried in the sun and in an air oven at 373-383 K for 3-4 h and ground to a powder. 50-100 mesh fractions are taken, washed with water and dried for 4 h at 373-383 K and preserved in a desiccator. Sorption of Ni(II) is found to be dependent on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">p</i>H of the medium. The process is characterized with Freundlich, Langmuir and Temkin isotherms and the adsorption coefficients are computed in each case. Langmuir monolayer capacity for Ni(II) sorption on JLP is 11.5 mg/g that could be considered as substantial. The kinetics of adsorption have been worked out by applying first-order, second-order and intra particle diffusion models. The biosorption process is endothermic showing increase in uptake with temperature in the range of 303 to 323 K. Ni(II) is held to the surface by various functional groups present on JLP surface as seen from FTIR measurements.

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