Efficiency of Rice Bran for the Removal of Fe³⁺ from Solution

Abstract

Rice bran was found to adsorb Fe³⁺ effectively over the range of pH 1-12. Therefore rice bran is applicable for uses in the food industry over a wide pH range. Fe³⁺ was successfully removed from water samples with an average removal efficiency of 88.5% after 90 min when rice bran was added to water samples containing 5 mg/l Fe³⁺. The removal of Fe³⁺ by rice bran was attributed to the chelating properties of phytic acid. Here, we report a fundamental study on the efficiency of rice bran for the removal of Fe³⁺ using a batch system on a laboratory scale and describe the elucidation of the mechanism of Fe³⁺ removal by rice bran.