Removal of Cr(III) in wastewater using vegetable tanned leather shaving wastes and adsorption kinetic, isotherm and thermodynamic studies

In this work, usability of vegetable tanned leather shavings as an adsorbent to remove Cr(III) of heavy metal ions from effluent of leather industry was investigated. Optimum conditions were determined by investigating the effects of adsorbent amount, time, pH and temperature on Cr(III) adsorption. Furthermore, kinetic, isotherm and thermodynamics studies were performed related to adsorption between leather shavings and chromium. According to findings the data fit to Langmuir isotherm with Langmuir constant of 0,100 L/g and with 10,24 mg/g maximum adsorption capacity. When adsorption kinetic was investigated, it was found out that the data fit to Lagergren pseudo 2. order kinetic model. In terms of thermodynamic results show that the adsorption phenomenon was endothermic, so that the randomness of solid-solution interface increased during the adsorption and the adsorption happened spontaneously. These results show that Cr(III) adsorption on vegetable tanned leather shavings is a complex process taking place in physical and chemical ways.