Investigation of dye adsorption onto activated carbon from the shells of Macoré fruit

Abstract

The activated carbon obtained from the shells of Macoré fruit was used as an adsorbent for the removal of dyes such as methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) from synthetic contaminated aqueous solutions. It holds that the adsorption is more favourable at acidic pH, with an optimum adsorption at pH = 2. At this pH, the adsorption rate is more than 98% for the two dyes. The sorption capacity was enhanced by increasing the amount of activated carbon. Above room temperature, the adsorption rates remain constant at a value of approximately 99%. The study of the adsorption kinetics indicates that the adsorption on the studied dyes follows second-order kinetics. The isotherm adsorption data were found to be described by both Langmuir and Freundlich. In addition, the thermodynamic studies revealed that the adsorption process is a favourable, endothermic and spontaneous phenomenon.

Keywords: Activated carbon; Adsorption; Dye; Isotherms; Kinetics; Thermodynamics.