Adsorptive Sequestration of Nickel(II) Ions from Industrial Effluents Using Sulfonated Tea Waste Matrices

International Journal of Chemistry | Vol. 4, No. 11, November 2013 | pp. 81–88

DOI: 10.46882/2013/IJC/000062

Article Type: Original Research Paper

Title: Adsorptive Sequestration of Nickel(II) Ions from Industrial Effluents Using Sulfonated Tea Waste Matrices

Names of Authors: E. N. Chidi¹, J. P. van der Berg²*

Authors’ Affiliations:
¹Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.
²Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands.

Abstract: The contamination of aquatic networks by toxic industrial nickel residues presents persistent public health and ecological hazards due to its bioaccumulative nature. This research examines the adsorptive performance of chemically modified black tea waste prepared via sulfonation with concentrated sulfuric acid for the removal of Ni(II) ions from aqueous systems. Structural configurations and morphology changes were monitored using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and FT-IR spectroscopy, which confirmed the successful introduction of sulfonic acid (-SO₃H) active functional groups onto the biomass surface. Batch extraction experiments evaluated parameters of solution pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and initial metal concentrations. Maximum Ni(II) removal was achieved at an optimum pH of 6.0, with an equilibrium contact period of 90 minutes. Equilibrium data matched the Langmuir isotherm expressions perfectly, indicating a maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 52.64 mg/g at 298 K. Sorption kinetics conformed to the pseudo-second-order model with high correlation coefficients (R² > 0.998), proving that chemical ion exchange reactions governed the phase transfer process. Thermodynamic parameters confirmed that the sorption mechanism was spontaneous (delta G° = -4.25 kJ/mol) and endothermic, establishing sulfonated tea waste as an affordable material for metal recovery.

Keywords: Tea waste; Chemical modification; Sulfonation; Nickel removal; Adsorption kinetics; Chemisorption

Manuscript Timeline: Received: February 02, 2013; Revised: March 18, 2013; Accepted: April 22, 2013; Published: November 08, 2013.

Citation: Chidi, E. N., & van der Berg., J. P. (2013). Adsorptive Sequestration of Nickel(II) Ions from Industrial Effluents Using Sulfonated Tea Waste Matrices. International Journal of Chemistry, 4(11), 81–88.

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