Abstract
The pre-treatment of waste cooking oil (WCO) by removing free fatty acids (FFAs) is pivotal for biodiesel production. This study develops a low-cost, efficient adsorbent derived from water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), activated with 5 M NaOH, termed WHA-H, for this purpose. Characterization through FT-IR and SEM analyses revealed that NaOH activation significantly enhanced the surface roughness and functional group availability on WHA-H, leading to improved adsorption capabilities. Nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms of WHA-H confirmed a complex pore structure with Type II and Type IV isotherms combination, indicating the presence of both meso- and macroporosity. Kinetic studies conformed to the pseudo-second-order model, suggesting chemisorption as the primary FFA adsorption mechanism, while isotherm data were best described by the Langmuir model, indicating monolayer coverage on a homogeneous surface. WHA-H exhibited a maximum FFA adsorption capacity (qm) of 1666.67 mg g−1. Thermodynamic parameters indicated that the adsorption process is spontaneous and exothermic, with desorption studies establishing diethyl ether as an effective solvent for WHA-H regeneration. Our study not only demonstrates WHA-H’s potential as a sustainable adsorbent for improving WCO quality but also offers an eco-friendly approach to managing the invasive water hyacinth.
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Acknowledgements
We extend our gratitude to Naresuan University (NU) and the National Science, Research, and Innovation Fund (NSRF) for their financial support of this research under Grant No. R2566B060. Special thanks are due to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Duangdao Channei from the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences at Naresuan University, for providing invaluable technical assistance.
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Phetrungnapha, A., Wiengnak, N. & Maikrang, K. A low-cost water hyacinth-based adsorbent for free fatty acids removal from waste cooking oil: kinetic, isotherm, and thermodynamic studies. Braz. J. Chem. Eng. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43153-024-00449-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43153-024-00449-9