Ability of treated kapok (Ceiba pentandra) fiber for removal of clay particle from water turbidity

Abstract

Kapok (Ceiba pentandra, family Bombacaceae) fiber (KF) is a by-product of traditional agriculture in tropical countries and is mainly used as fiberfill in fabric. The aim of this study was to explore the possibility of using KF to remove clay particles from turbid water. Firstly, KF was boiled at 100 °C in deionized water for 15 min to remove the surface oil. A suspension of montmorillonite powder mixed 1 L of deionized water, divided into volumes of 100, 200, 300, and 400 mL, was used as the turbid water source. The ability of KF to remove clay particles from the water was assessed by filtering the water through 60 g of treated KF in a ∼397.9 cm3 acrylic column. Results showed that the treated KF effectively removed the clay particles from the entire volume of turbid water in this experiment; the results also demonstrate that this KF fiber has value as a simple and inexpensive tool for water treatment, especially in developing countries.