VISVESVARAYA TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY, BELAGAVI

Ph.D. Progress Report IV for the period January to June 2019

On
Optimization of batch adsorption and column studies on removal of heavy
metals from waste water using modified biopolymers as adsorbents

Submitted

Towards Partial Fulfillment for the Award of Degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
IN
Chemical Engineering
By
Mahesha Kumar
[USN: 1SI17PGA06]

Under the guidance of

Dr. Jagadish H Patil
Associate Professor,
Department of Chemical Engg
RVCE, Bengaluru
Dr. S Murthyshekhar
Professor and Head,
Department of Chemical Engg
SIT, Tumkur

Research Centre
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
Siddaganga Institute of Technology, Tumkur - 572103
Work carried out:
1. Literature work started on the current topic.
2. Started conduction of experiments using sea shells and chitin as biopolymer using indigo
carmine and potassium dichromate as the synthetic waste water.

Batch adsorption studies were carried out to check the removal of heavy metals from the
synthetically prepared waste water solution. Different parameters like concentration of the
solution, pH, adsorbent dosage and contact time were varied to check the extent of removal of
heavy metals.

Sea Shells as adsorbent: Sea shells were collected from fisheries department, Cubbon Park,
Bengaluru and they were washed with water to remove the impurities present and then were sun
dried followed by oven dried to remove the moisture. Then it was finely grounded and then
subjected to sieve analysis to segregate the particles. Particles obtained from 14/16 were
considered for further experiments. The average particle size was determined by using
differential and integral method of analysis. The results are given below the figure 2.

Sieve analysis

Figure 2: Cumulative analysis of Biopolymer sample (Sea shells)

 By differential analysis the size of the particle was found to be 0.554mm.
The formula for differential analysis is given by :-
The average particle size = ∑Xi / Dpi, where Xi is the weight fraction, Dpi is the average
particle size of the mesh.
A graph is plotted with 1/Dpi- vs Øi and the particle size is found to by cumulative
method.
Particle size by cumulative method=1.33mm.
Particle size = 1/area under the graph

= 1/ .75 =1.33mm
Metrics like adsorbent dosage, pH, Concentration, contact time and adsorbent dosage were
varied to study the removal of Indigo carmine dye from the aqueous solutions.

Adsorbent Dosage:
The concentration of the solution and the contact time were maintained constant to check the
effect of adsorbent dosage. The dosage was varied from 1g/l to 6 g/l of the solution taken.

Figure 3: Effect of adsorbent dosage on % degradation

Adsorbent dosage was varied from 1 to 6 g/l to check the % degradation of heavy metals. It is
found that from the Figure 3 degradation was increasing continuously as the dosage is increased,
due to the more surface area available and it reaches saturation at 5g/l of the solution taken. So
we can consider 5g/l of adsorbent as the optimum dosage.
PH of the solution:
The pH of 50ppm solution with constant contact time was varied from 1 to 9 to study the
removal of dye solution.

Figure 4: Effect of pH on % degradation

The pH of the solution was varied from highly acidic to the basic and it was found that as we move
the solution pH towards the basic the removal % was decreasing. The electrostatic attraction
between the positively charged H+ ions and the negatively charged solution will increase.
Initial concentration:
The initial concentration of the solution was varied between 50 to 200ppm to study the
decolourization of the dye.

Figure 5: Effect of initial concentration on % degradation

 The initial concentration of the solution was varied from 50ppm to 200ppm to check the
degradation of the effluent sample. It is found that the degradation decreases with increase in
concentration of the solution. As the solution concentration increases the total surface available for
adsorption is reduced and hence it shows a decreasing trend.

Contact time:
The solution was kept on a ratary shaker for a definate amount of time between 15 to 75 mins to
study the decolourization of the dye.

Figure 6: Effect of contact time on % degradation

The samples were subjected to orbital shaker for a time interval between 15 to 75 minutes to
measure the amount of degradation. It is found that the removal increases up to 60 minutes and
thereafter it slowly becomes constant. This indicates that the biopolymer sample is saturated and
further increase in time leads to desorption.
Candidate Name Mahesha Kumar

Guide Name Dr. Jagadish H Patil

Co Guide Name Dr. S Murthyshekhar

USN ISI17PGA06

Research Area Waste water treatment

Research Centre Siddaganga Institute of technology, Tumkur

Course PhD Chemical Engineering

Registration Date 18 MAY 2017

“Optimization of batch adsorption and column studies on removal

Research Topic of heavy metals from waste water using modified biopolymers as
adsorbents”
Course Work Subject
cleared NIL

Signature of the Candidate Signature of the Co Guide Signature of the Guide

Signature of the head of the Research center Signature of the Doctoral Committee