EN
We investigated the efficiency of maize biomass parts - seed chaff, stalk, cob and husk, in the remediation of Cu2+ ion polluted water in modeled solutions. The adsorption capacity of these parts followed the order of husk > stalk > cob > seed chaff, with values of 9.65 mg/g, 4.83 mg/g, 3.70 mg/g and 2.48 mg/g, respectively. Maximum adsorption capacity of each part was reached in 45 min. Herein, the husk giving the best removal efficiency of 80.80%. Characterization of the maize husk using PIXE showed that potassium is the main cation on this biomass, with concentration 5.602 g/kg. FTIR scans of the husk before and after adsorption of Cu2+ ions gave shifts in adsorption bands on - OH carrying molecules, indicating that complexation is a mechanism in the metal ion removal process. The multi porous structure of the husk, and uniform surface coverage by ions observed from SEM images before and after adsorption, shed more light on the high adsorption efficiency shown by this natural waste material.