A FIXED BED COLUMN USING BAGASSE ASH FOR BRINE WASTEWATER TREATMENT FROM THE SUGAR REFINING PROCESSCHAIWAT NGASAN, CHINNATHAN AREEPRASERT, PAIRIN SUCHAIRAT, BANGON CHAMNAN, ANUTIN PATTAMASUWAN AND ULAIWAN WITHAYAGIATAbstract The objective of this current study was to determine and compare the characteristics and decolorization efficiencies of bagasse ash (BA) and granular activated carbon (GAC) in the treatment of brine wastewater (BWW). BA not only showed lower fixed carbon (45.8%) content than GAC (77.0%) but was also found to have a lower surface area (194 m2/g) compared with GAC (211 m2/g). The effect of flow rate, initial color of BWW and adsorbent bed depth on color removal were investigated and optimal conditions identified as a flow rate of 120 mL/min, original colour of 2.00 and bed depth of 140 cm. The efficiency of BWW decolorization by BA and GAC was found to be related to the mesopore volume and surface area of the adsorbents. The effluent volumes required for decolorization to the target colour value of industry at 60%were determined as 36 and 157 L/kg of BA and GAC adsorbent, respectively. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal capacity of BA and GAC were 248 and 2,241 mL/L per one kilogram of adsorbent, respectively. The characteristics of the treated BWW sampled after passing through the BA column indicated that the developed adsorption process shows great prospect for the decolorization of brine effluents produced during brine recovery at an industrial scale, due to allowing the recovery and reuse of spent salt, as well as reducing the salt and water consumption of the process. |