Preparation and Characterization of Maize Tassel Fibre for Adsorption Processes

Abstract

In this study, the surface physical characterization, chemistry characterization and proximate analysis were carried out on maize tassel fibres in order to check the feasibility of the bio-sorbent for bio-sorption process. The moisture content, ash content, apparatus density, particle density and crude protein results of maize tassel fibre were carried out and the values gotten were 4.51%, 2.134%, 0.41g/ml, 300 m and 4.06% respectively. The low amount of the aforementioned properties shows that the bio-material is exceptional for the use of column adsorption. The surface chemistry of the bio-material shows the presence of carboxylic groups and lactonic groups present in the material but the presence of phenolic groups is minimally present; this was shown using Fourier Transform- Infrared spectroscopy and Boehmn titration showed the number of acidic sites presents in the material to be 0.9mol/g. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) isotherm was used to find the surface area, pore volume and pore size diameter to be 652.3 m2/g, 0.4056cm3/g and 2.144 nm respectively. The Iodine number for the sorbent material was 423.049 which are within the standard range of a standard adsorbent. The results indicated that maize tassel fibre is mesoporous and a good material for biosorption process.