Aspen adsorption simulation on biosorption between water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and Pb (II) ions in packed bed column

Abstract

Biosorption offers low capital and operating cost on removal of heavy metals from contaminated aqueous wastewater. This research study evaluated the effect of flow rates, initial concentration of Pb (II) ions, bed height and operating conditions of the continuous flow adsorption process on the breakthrough time of the bed column containing water hyacinth as biosorbent through simulation by using Aspen Adsorption. The simulation was conducted whereby the flow rates (Q) were varied between 0.2 L/s and 0.8 L/s, the initial concentration of Pb (II) ions (Co) were varied between 20 mg/L and 200 mg/L, and the bed height (h) were varied between 0.25m and 1.00 m. The objectives are achieved whereby, when Q decrease, Co decreases and the h increases, the breakthrough time increases. When Q is 0.2 L/s, Co is 20 mg/L and h is 1.00 m, the maximum breakthrough times achieved for Study A, B and C, are 7.70 hours, 9.27 hours and 6.2 hours respectively. Study B has the longest maximum breakthrough time due to it having operating temperature of 35 °C as well as having the optimum water hyacinth biosorbent particle size which is 0.75×10-3 m.