Removal of copper(II) by adsorption onto peanut hull carbon from water and copper plating industry wastewater

Activated carbon prepared from peanut hull (PHC), an agricultural waste by-product, has been used for the adsorption of Cu(II) from aqueous solution. The adsorption obeyed Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The applicability of Lagergren kinetic model has also been investigated. Quantitative removal of Cu(II) from a solution containing 20 mg/L Cu(II) by 0.9 g PHC per litre was observed in the pH range 4.0 to 10.0. The suitability of PHC for treating copper plating industry wastewater was also testea. A comparative study with a coal based commercial granular activated carbon (GAC) showed that the adsorption capacity (Qo) of PHC was 18 times larger than that of GAC.