Influence of Particle Size on the Bioadsorbent Behavior of Orange Peel

Abstract— The physical treatment of citrus peels comprises five stages: collecting, washing, drying, grinding and sieving. It is very important to have a grinding system that allows to regulate the pre-established particle size for future applications of the shell. For this, it is necessary to complement the grinding with a good sieving.

The optimal particle size for continuous applications through fluidized beds has been found to be between 500-1000 µm. Although the 200-500 µm range has applications in batch processes, particle sizes less than 200 µm are usually not used as they remain in suspension and only precipitate after a considerable period of time.

This work presents a modification of the chemical treatment of orange peel that aims to take advantage of the material that passes through a standard 200µm sieve and reuse it as a bioadsorbent. The results obtained with Cu (II), Mg (II) and Na (I) at different concentrations are consistent with the use of bioadsorbents in metal removal.