Global Journal of Engineering and Technology Research (GJETR)

Characterization and Adsorption Effectiveness of Coconut Shell-Activated Carbon/Fe₃O₄ as Novel-Adsorbent on Copper Removal from Wastewater

Yusmartini, Eka Sri, Mardwita, Shaffira, Siti Aisyah Putri, Rahadianto, Wahyu Triaji

11 December 2025 · Vol. 1, Issue 4, pp. 193-198

DOI: 10.65150/EP-gjetr/V1E4/2025-05

Abstract

Fe₃O₄-modified activated carbon from coconut shell has arisen as a promising magnetic adsorbent for wastewater treatment applications. This study aims to synthesize activated carbon that meets the Indonesian National Standard (SNI), characterize the physicochemical properties of activated carbon/Fe₃O₄ using Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and evaluate its adsorption efficiency for Cu ion removal under varying operational conditions, including adsorbent mass, contact time, and initial Cu concentration. The adsorbent was synthesized from coconut shell-derived activated carbon, chemically activated with 10% H₃PO₄, and composited with Fe₃O₄ to enhance its magnetic properties. Characterization results confirmed the presence of functional groups and surface morphological features that contribute to improved adsorption performance. Adsorption experiments demonstrated that the optimal conditions were achieved with an adsorbent mass of 3 g, a contact time of 75 min, and an initial Cu concentration of 60 mg/L, yielding a maximum adsorption efficiency of 99.70%. The incorporation of Fe₃O₄ not only enhanced adsorption performance and facilitated easy separation of the adsorbent from aqueous solutions. These findings emphasize the potential of activated carbon/Fe₃O₄ as an efficient and sustainable adsorbent for heavy metal removal in industrial wastewater treatment applications.

Keywords: Activated carbon, activated carbon/Fe₃O₄, wastewater treatment, Cu removal, coconut shell

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Yusmartini, Eka Sri, Mardwita, Shaffira, Siti Aisyah Putri, Rahadianto, & Wahyu Triaji (2025). Characterization and Adsorption Effectiveness of Coconut Shell-Activated Carbon/Fe₃O₄ as Novel-Adsorbent on Copper Removal from Wastewater. Global Journal of Engineering and Technology Research, 1(4), 193-198. https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-gjetr/V1E4/2025-05

@article{Yusmartini2025,
  title   = {Characterization and Adsorption Effectiveness of Coconut Shell-Activated Carbon/Fe₃O₄ as Novel-Adsorbent on Copper Removal from Wastewater},
  author  = {Yusmartini and Eka Sri and Mardwita and Shaffira and Siti Aisyah Putri and Rahadianto and Wahyu Triaji},
  journal = {Global Journal of Engineering and Technology Research},
  year    = {2025},
  volume  = {1},
  number  = {4},
  pages   = {193-198},
  doi     = {10.65150/EP-gjetr/V1E4/2025-05},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-gjetr/V1E4/2025-05}
}

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