Pseudo-Stem Banana Fibers: Characterization and Chromium Removalm

In this work, pseudo-stems of the banana tree were collected, characterized and used as adsorbent materials for the removal of the chromium ions from aqueous solution. The characterization of pseudo-stems by FTIR suggests the presence of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. The predominant groups were carbonyls (0.312 +/- 0.010 mmol g(-1) adsorbent), phenols (0.237 +/- 0.021 mmol g(-1) adsorbent), lactones (0.041 +/- 0.003 mmol g(-1) adsorbent) and basic groups (0.096 +/- 0.006 mmol g(-1) adsorbent). The textural propriety of the adsorbent, surface area, pore volume and pore diameter were found to be 0.383 m(2) g(-1), 0.003525 cm(3) g(-1) and 368.3 +/-, respectively. The pHpzc value was found 7.5 and so the adsorption assays of chromium removal from solution were more efficiently at acidic pH values. The experiments show that approximately 95% and 78% of the Cr (VI) was removed from solution by untreated and treated fiber, respectively, in 300 minutes of the contact time.