FLUORIDE SORPTION USING MORRINGA INDICA-BASED ACTIVATED CARBON

Batch ad sorption expe riments using activated ca rbon prepared from morringa indica bark wereconducted to remove fluoride from aqueous solution . a minimum contact time of 25 min was requiredfor optimum fluo rid e removal. the influence of adsorbent, dose, ph , co-ions (cations and anions) onfluorid e removal by the activa ted carbon has been experimentally ve rified . the ad sorption of fluoridewas studied at 30 °c , 40 °c and 50 °c . the kinetic s o f adsorption and adsorption isotherm s at d iffere nttemperatures were studied. the fluoride ad sorption obeyed both langmuir and freundlich isothermsand follow ed a pseudo first order kinetic model. the thermodynamic stud ies revealed that the fluoridead so rption b y morrin ga indica is an endothermic process indicating an in crease in sorption rate athigher temperatures. the negative values of l'l.g o indicate the spontaneity of adsorption. sem andxrd studies confirmed the surface mo rphological characteristics of the adsorbent and the deposition offluoride on the surface of the material.