Published Paper Details:

Packed bed column adsorption is an efficient and cost effective process for removing various pollutants from industrial effluent. Coal fly ash (CFA) generated from coal-burning power plants may pose serious implications on the economy and environment. MCFA was synthesized from CFA, by hydrothermal alkali treatment method. MCFA was reported to be amorphous, with 43.72% Al2O3 and structure of aluminosilicate matrix. In the present study, MCFA is used as an adsorbent in packed bed column for sequestering phenol. The column was operated at variable phenol concentration (70.0, 292.7, 651.2, 1039.9 mg/l) with variable flow rate (0.375, 0.75, 1.0 ml/min), using different bed height (7.5, 13.5, 27.5 cm). Local pulp and paper mill effluent containing 78 ppm phenol was percolated through 13.5 cms bed height column (10g MCFA) at flow rate of 1ml/min rate , study showed that column was saturated after 8hrs feeding, which removed 2.378 mg/g of phenol ( 30% phenol )l from paper effluent. In insitu ,dynamic column removal of phenl was reported to be lower than pure standard phenol feed under similar experimental condition, that may be attributed to commultive adsorption of pollutants. Packed bed column of MCFA may be deemed as comparatively cheaper adsorbent for removal of phenol from phenol rich effluent like textile industry. Modified Coal Fly Ash (MCFA), may herald an interesting promise as comparatively cost-effective adsorbent for removal of phenol from phenol rich industrial effluent. The scale up design parameters of wider diameter column can be estimated as 13.5 cm bed height , 12.24 cm column diameter (d) with surface area of 117.75 cm2 , which can be packed with 3338.17 grams of MFCA adsorbent , which can be operated at 150 cm3/min flow rate .