Methyl Ester Sulfonate (MES) Surfactant and Gamma Irradiation Modified Activated Carbon (g-MES/AC) as Cu2+ Wastewater Adsorbent
Sherina Massayu Putri (1), Alvino Andreas Lumban Tobing (2), Angelica Isabella Christian (3), Sidik Permana (4), Asril Pramutadi (5), Deni Swantomo (6), Dhita Ariyanti (7)

Nuclear Chemical Engineering, Politechnic Institute of Nuclear Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency, BRIN

Department of Doctoral Nuclear Engineering, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Bandung Institute of Technology, Ganesha 10 Street, Bandung, 40132, Indonesia

Abstract

Activated carbon is currently popular in advanced materials research and still continuosly improvement. One of activated carbon applications is on quality decrease problem solving of water, specially on presence of heavy metal waste, Cu2+ that caused by industrial activities. Therefore, the combination of activated carbon with surfactant Methyl Ester Sulfonate (MES) and gamma irradiation method is intended to adsorb Cu2+ cationic. In this research, activated carbon was treated by addition of surfactant Methyl Ester Sulfonate (MES) using various dose gamma irradiation 0- 10- 30- and 50 kGy. The first stages carried out preparation of activated carbon form of sieving using a 70 mesh sieve and contacting the activated carbon with MES surfactant for 24 hours. The second stages was exposured activated carbon modified using various dose gamma irradiation, then drying. The third stages was found out optimum contact time. Optimum contact time varied on 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes. And the last stages was identification optimum dose irradiation. The results showed that Methyl Ester Sulfonate (MES) surfactant and gamma irradiation modified activated carbon adsorbs Cu2+ wastewater effectively. The adsorption capacity was 1,037 mg/gr on 15 minutes- 0,7075 mg/gr on 30 minutes- 0,762 mg/gr on 45 minutes- and the lower was 0,4725 mg/gr on 60 minutes. Optimum contact time of surfactant and gamma irradiation modified activated carbon to adsorbed Cu2+ was 15 minutes. The adsorption capacity was 0,15 mg/gram on 0 kGy- 0,803 mg/gram on 10 kGy- 0,098 mg/gram on 30 kGy- and 0,01 mg/gram on 50 kGy. So, the optimum dose irradiation of surfactant and gamma irradiation modified activated carbon to adsorbed Cu2+ was 10 kGy. From the result, it can be concluded that optimum condition of Methyl Ester Sulfonate (MES) surfactant and gamma irradiation modified activated carbon to adsorbed Cu2+ was 15 minutes and 10 kGy dose gamma irradiation. Hopefully, in the future, the use of irradiated activated carbon is expected to make clean water management more effective and efficient.

Keywords: gamma irradiation, surfactant, adsorption, Cu2+ wastewater

Topic: Material and Process for Innovative Energy Systems