Alkali Lignin from Talahib Grass (Saccharum spontaneum L.) as An Adsorbent for Chromium (III) and Phenolphthalein: Analysis of the Adsorption Kinetics and Mechanism

Abstract

The study aims to quantitatively assess the capability of lignin extracted from Saccharum spontaneum L. (talahib grass) as an adsorbent of chromium (III) and phenolphthalein in aqueous solution through kinetic methods. Results show that using lignin as an adsorbent, the percentage removal for both chromium (III) and phenolphthalein in aqueous solution are 31.70% and 74.98%, respectively, based on the optimum exposure time of the adsorbent, which is 6.5 hours for chromium (III) and 60 minutes for phenolphthalein. Results from the mechanistic analysis show that a pseudo-second order adsorption kinetic model fits better than a pseudo-first order model for both substrates. Also, among the six selected adsorption isotherm models used in this study, the Flory-Huggins isotherm can best predict the properties of the adsorption process of both phenolphthalein and chromium (III) at equilibrium. Further improvement of the extracted lignin through various physical and chemical modifications may improve its ability to remove the contaminants.