Application of Central Composite Design for removal of Cr (VI) from aqueous solution using Chitin/ MCM-41: an effective nanocomposite

In the present study, a series of Chitin/ MCM-41 as nanocomposites were made in order to remove Cr (VI) ion from aqueous solution. The nanocomposite were characterized by FTIR, XRD and SEM. The surface area, pore volume and the pore size distribution of the Chitin/ MCM-41 were calculated by BET technique. Response surface methodology (RSM) approach using Central Composite Design (CCD) is applied to develop mathematical model and optimize process parameters for Cr (VI) removal. The effects of different parameters such as initial solution pH, initial Cr (VI) concentration, adsorbent dose and contact time on adsorption were studied to find the best operating conditions. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed the Initial solution pH and adsorbent dose were the most influential parameters. Higher removal efficiency was obtained at pH lower than 2.