Effect of electrochemical oxidation of a viscose rayon based activated carbon cloth on sorption of toxic arsenic ions from aqueous solution

Abstract

A viscose rayon based activated carbon cloth (ACC) was electrochemically oxidised to enhance its cation sorption capacity for comparison with as-received ACC. ACCs were characterised by sodium capacity measurement, pH titration, zeta potential measurement, elemental analysis, Brunauer-Emmet- Teller surface area measurement, Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy analysis and Scanning electron microscopy. Batch sorption experiments showed that Arsenic sorption capacity for electrochemically oxidised ACC increased 11.35 times at pH 8. Arsenic sorption increased with an increase in solution pH for electrochemically oxidised ACC. Arsenic ions were sorbed onto as-received ACC and electrochemically oxidised ACC by ion exchange.