Abstract
Cashmere guard hair was milled into fine particles using a wet milling system. The metal ion absorption properties of cashmere guard hair, both in the milled powder and its parent fibre forms, in comparison with wool and silk, were examined towards oppositely charged ionic metal species (Zn 2+ and anionic species of Cr 6+) using respective gamma emitting radioisotopes. The absorption of metal ions was found to be governed by ionic interactions over different pH ranges. The absorption performance of the powder sorbents towards Zn 2+ ions (silk powder>wool powder>cashmere guard hair powder) showed an opposite trend to Cr 6+ (cashmere guard hair powder>wool powder>silk power). The breakdown of cashmere guard hair cuticle cells and oxidation of powder surface during milling enhanced the initial rate of metal ion absorption. The absorption yield of all the studied sorbents increased with increasing the initial Cr 6+ ion concentration in the solution. However, Zn 2+ ion concentration in solution showed a very little effect on absorption in the powder sorbents studied.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 162-168 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Powder Technology |
| Volume | 218 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2012 |
| Externally published | Yes |