Continuous metal and residual oil removal from palm oil mill effluent using natural zeolite-packed column

In this paper, fixed bed column studies were carried out to evaluate the performance of natural zeolite in removing heavy metals (Fe, Mn and Zn) and residual oil from palm oil mill effluent (POME) under varying experimental conditions such as flow rate and bed height. The maximum uptakes of Fe, Zn and Mn in a fixed bed adsorption column were 1.466, 0.203 and 0.019 mg/g at pH 6, bed height 15 cm and flow rate 3 ml/min,while maximum sorption of residual oil was 100 mg/g at pH 3 and same bed height and flow rate. Bohart–Adams and the bed depth service time (BDST) models were applied to the data for predicting breakthrough curves and to determine the characteristic parameters such as service time adsorption, adsorption rate, capacity and time required for 50% breakthrough.

► A cylindrical column was packed with natural zeolite. ► Adsorption capacity of adsorbent for the removal of residual oil and metallic ions was investigated. ► The exhaustion time increased with increasing bed depth. ► But it decreased with increasing flow rate. ► The BDST and Bohart–Adams models were in good agreement with the experimental data.