ABSTRACT
In this study, proximate analysis and characterization techniques were carried out on maize tassel fibres in order to check its feasibility as a bio-sorbent for bio-sorption process before the immobilization with Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA). The moisture content, ash content, apparent density, particle size and crude protein of maize tassel fibre were determined to show that the bio-material was exceptional for its use in column adsorption. The surface chemistry of the bio-material shows the presence of carboxylic groups and lactonic groups present in the material using Fourier Transform-Infrared spectroscopy (Nicolet 560 spectrophotometer) and Boehmn titration showed the number of acidic sites present in the material. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) isotherm (Novastation D version 11.03) was used to find the surface area, pore volume and pore size diameter. The tassel was added to the poly vinyl alcohol at a temperature of 80 ºC with the aid of a magnetic stirrer in the ratio of 2:1 after which it was cooled and extruded with the aid of a syringe to form beads. Column adsorption studies were carried out to investigate the performance of the column by varying flow rates, bed heights and initial concentration on the breakthrough curve to get the breakthrough time and the exhaustion time of the adsorbent bed was used up. The column efficiency was evaluated using Clark model and Thomas model. The proximate analysis revealed moisture content, ash content, apparent density, particle size and crude protein to be 4.51 %, 2.134 %, 0.41 g/ml, 300 μm and 4.06 % respectively for maize tassel fibre. The FT-IR and Boehmn titration showed the number of acidic sites present in the material to be 0.9 mmol/g but the presence of phenolic groups is minimally present in the maize tassel fibre. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) isotherm was used to find the surface area, pore volume and pore size diameter to be 652.3 m2 /g, 0.4056 cm3 /g and 2.144 nm respectively .The Thomas Model was found to predict the breakthrough better than Clark model for the phosphoric compounds with R2 value of 97.5 % for bed heights and flow rates.
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