Synthesis and characterization of magnetic activated carbon from Ceiba pentandra fiber for zinc ion removal

One of the heavy metals contained in the electroplating industrial wastewater is zinc. Adsorption is found to be one of the most effective methods for zinc ion removal from aqueous solution due to low cost and simple to operate. The main purpose of this study was to use cotton (Ceiba pentandra) fiber as a precursor to developing a magnetic activated carbon (MAC) for zinc ion removal. The activation process was carried out using potassium hydroxide (KOH) by conventional heating using a tubular furnace at a temperature of 500°C for 2 hours under a stream of nitrogen (N₂), while the magnetization process was carried out using co-precipitation method. The adsorption of zinc ion onto MAC was recorded to be 96% at a solution pH of 5 and contact time of 180 min. The adsorption of zinc onto AC is fitted well by the Freundlich isotherm model, while the zinc-MAC system is described well by the Langmuir isotherm model. Meanwhile, the pseudo second order kinetic model is suitable for AC and MAC. Owing to low cost and high efficiency, MAC prepared from Ceiba pentandra fiber can be used as an effective adsorbent for zinc ion removal from industrial wastewater.