CELLULOSE HYDROGEL FIBRE FROM NIPA PALM (NYPA FRUTICANS) SHELL USED FOR ADSORPTION OF METHYLENE BLUE FROM WASTEWATER

Abstract

Cellulose was chemically extracted from nipa palm (Nypa fruticans) shell, which was used to prepare hydrogel fibre and applied as an environment-friendly adsorbent for methylene blue. The purified cellulose was dissolved in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), with the addition of 6% lithium chloride (LiCl), at room temperature for 5 days. Then, the cellulose solution was coagulated by the phase inversion process under ethanol vapor to obtain cellulose hydrogel fibre. The adsorption results showed that when the initial concentration of the methylene blue solution was increased from 20 to 100 mg/L at pH 10, the adsorption capacity also rose from 3 to 11.53 mg/g after 15-minute immersion. In addition, the equilibrium adsorption isotherm was well-fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model and the maximum adsorbed amount was 13.23 mg/g. Furthermore, the cellulose hydrogel fibre showed high reusability, as the removal efficiency of methylene blue remained at a level of approximately 80% after five recycles.