Adsorption kinetics and isotherm of methylene blue and its removal from aqueous solution using bone charcoal

Applying hybrid genetic and artificial bee colony algorithms to simulate a bio-treatment of synthetic dye-polluted wastewater using a rhamnolipid biosurfactant

The present work aims at optimization and advanced simulation of removal efficiency of dye material from a synthetic wastewater using a locally generated rhamnolipid (RL) biosurfactant. For this purpose, bio-treatment of dye polluted synthetic wastewater was experimentally, kinetically, and statistically investigated by the ion flotation process in the presence of the RL. The removal rate of methylene blue (MB) as the dye material was assessed by the ultraviolet (UV)-visible absorbance measurements. The impact of operating variables including RL concentration (as a dye collector, 5-50 ppm), methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) dosage (as a frother, 10-70 ppm), solution pH (2-12) and aeration rate (1-5 l/min) were assessed through one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Anderson-Darling as the normality analysis strategy. The process was simulated using two artificial neural network (ANN) optimization algorithms, i.e., genetic algorithm (GA) and artificial bee colony (ABC) as a novel approach. The statistical results indicated that the dye removal process was significantly influenced by all operating variables (p_value<0.05) while their relative intensity followed the order of aeration rate > solution pH > RL concentration > MIBC dosage. Anderson-Darling approach disclosed that the all factors were perfectly followed the normal trend with A² less than unity and p-value of greater than 0.05 at 95% confidence level. Main effect plots revealed that except MIBC dosage with nonlinear trend, the rest of factors had an ascending influence on the removal efficiency. The process was optimized by interpreting the interaction effect among various variables to reach the maximum dye bioflotation. The maximum removal of 97 ± 0.13% was achieved at pH 12, airflow rate of 5 l/min, MIBC and rhamnolipid concentrations of 30 and 40 ppm, respectively with a flotation kinetic rate of 0.015 sec^-1. Finally, the intelligent simulation results showed that the process could be modelled using an artificial bee colony algorithm of 4-7-1 structure with 99% and 98.8% accuracies in the training and testing steps, respectively. Further, we found that the artificial bee colony algorithm was superior to the genetic algorithm in terms of complexity analysis.

Removal of Congo Red by Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) Fish Bone Powder: Kinetics, Equilibrium, and Thermodynamic Study

Powdered form of bones of silver carp fish, an available species in Bangladesh, was investigated as a prominent bioadsorbent for the removal of Congo red from synthetic solution. Experiments were conducted in batch process, and a number of influencing parameters, such as solution pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, and initial Congo red concentration, were thoroughly investigated for optimization. Kinetic and equilibrium data were well described by pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir isotherm, respectively. Suitability of pseudo-second-order model to best fit with the adsorption process was corroborated by squared sum of errors analysis. Mass transfer mechanism was confirmed by intraparticle pore diffusion and Bangham’s diffusion models. Maximum sorption capacity of fish bone powder was found to be 666.67 mg·g−1. The optimum condition (adsorbent dose: 5 g·L−1; pH: 2.0; operating time: 4 h) for maximum sorption was determined as well. The increasing negative value of Gibbs free energy (ΔG) with temperature rise indicated spontaneous nature and feasibility of adsorption. The positive values of ΔH and ΔS suggested that the adsorption reaction is endothermic and random (at the solid/liquid interface) in nature. The activation energy (29.84 kJ·mol−1) indicated that the sorption process was of physisorption type. A considerably high adsorption capacity pointed towards utilization of this apparently useless biomaterial as an effective adsorbent.

Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Dyes and Antimicrobial Activities by Polyaniline-Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Dot Nanocomposite

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanodots (N@CDs) were prepared by hydrothermal processing of bovine serum albumin (Mw: 69,324 with 607 amino acids). A polyaniline (PANI-N@CDs) nanocomposite was then synthesized by ultrasonication and used to degrade Congo red (CR), methylene blue (MB), Rhodamine B (RhB), and crystal violet (CV) four common organic dyes. The PANI-N@CD nanocomposite simultaneously adsorbed and concentrated the dye from the bulk solution and degraded the adsorbed dye, resulting in a high rate of dye degradation. The combination of holes (h+), hydroxyl (OH•), and O2•- was involved in the N@CD-mediated photocatalytic degradation of the dyes. Under visible light illumination at neutral pH, the PANI-N@CDs were proven as an efficient adsorbent and photocatalyst for the complete degradation of CR within 20 min. MB and RhB were also degraded but required longer treatment times. These findings supported the design of remediation processes for such dyes and predicted their fate in the environment. The nanocomposite also exhibited antimicrobial activities against Gram-negative bacterium E. coli and Gram-positive bacterium S. aureus.

Adsorption of Malachite Green Dye onto Mesoporous Natural Inorganic Clays: Their Equilibrium Isotherm and Kinetics Studies

Contamination of water with organic dyes is a major environmental concern as it causes serious life-threatening environmental problems. The present research was designed to evaluate the potential of three different natural inorganic clays (NICs) i.e., Pakistani bentonite clay (PB), bentonite purchased from Alfa Aesar (BT), and Turkish red mud (RM) for malachite green (MG) dye removal from an aqueous solution. Various analytical techniques, namely X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area measurement (BET), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), were used to investigate the physicochemical properties of the NICs samples. The effect of adsorption operational parameters such as contact time, aqueous phase pH, dye concentration, and amount of NICs on the adsorption behavior of MG onto NICs samples were investigated under the batch adsorption system. The equilibrium and kinetic inspection reflected the best description of MG adsorption behavior by the Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-first-order kinetic model, respectively. The results indicated that the adsorption was favorable at higher pH. The maximum adsorption capacities calculated by Langmuir isotherm for PB, BT, and RM were found to be 243.90 mg/g, 188.68 mg/g, and 172.41 mg/g, respectively. It can be concluded that natural inorganic clays with a higher surface area can be used as an effective adsorbent material to remove the MG dye from an aqueous solution.

Cooperativity and coverage dependent molecular desorption in self-assembled monolayers: computational case study with coronene on Au(111) and HOPG

One of the common practices in the literature of molecular desorption is the comparison of theoretically (mostly using DFT) calculated single molecule adsorption energies with experimental desorption energies from studies like temperature programmed desorption (TPD) etc. Comparisons like those do not consider that the experimental desorption energies are obtained via ensemble techniques while theoretical values are calculated at the single molecule level. Theoretical values are generally based upon desorption of a single molecule from a clean surface, or upon desorption of an entire monolayer. On the other hand, coverage dependent molecule-molecule interactions add to and modify molecule-substrate interactions that contribute to the experimentally determined desorption energies. In this work, we explore the suitability of an additive nearest neighbor model for determining general coverage dependent single molecule desorption energies in non-covalent self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). These coverage dependent values serve as essential input to any model attempting to reproduce coverage dependent desorption or for understanding the time dependent desorption from a partially covered surface. This method is tested using a case study of coronene adsorbed on Au(111) and HOPG substrates with periodic DFT calculations. Calculations show that coronene exhibits coverage and substrate dependence in molecular desorption. We found that intermolecular contact energies in the coronene monolayer are not strongly influenced by the HOPG substrate, while coronene desorption on Au(111) exhibits strong cooperativity where the additive model fails.

Synthesis and Photocatalytic Performance of ZnO/Bone Char Composite

ZnO/bone char (ZnO/BC) composites were successfully synthesized by the precipitation of a ZnO precursor on pyrolytic bone char. The effects of bone char size, mass ratio of ZnO to BC, and molar ratio of ZnO to triethylamine (TEA) on the microstructure, specific surface area, and light absorbance of ZnO/BC were studied. The photocatalytic property of ZnO/BC was evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue. Results show that with a uniform nano-ZnO particle layer distributed evenly on the bone char surface, ZnO/BC has the strongest light absorbance and can effectively degrade methylene blue. The photocatalytic performance of ZnO/BC is related to the light absorbance of the photocatalyst, as well as the amount and distribution state of the loaded ZnO. This study indicates that bovine bone waste can be used as a nano-photocatalyst carrier to prepare photocatalytic composites, which is not only a good way to clean wastewater but also an ideal solution to utilize animal bone waste.

Removal of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solution by Bone Char

Bone char was prepared from bovine bone for the removal of methylene blue from aqueous solution. The effects of particle size, contact time, and adsorption temperature on the removal rate of methylene blue were investigated. It was found that bone char particle size had an insignificant effect. The equilibration time was found at approximately 80 min. The removal rate decreased with an increase in temperature. The intraparticle diffusion was the main rate-limiting step. The experimental data was analyzed by kinetic, isotherm, and thermodynamic equations. The results show that the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Freundlich, Temkin, and Dubinin–Kaganer–Radushkevich isotherm models are true of the adsorption process. The spontaneous and exothermic ion-exchange adsorption process was certified by the negative values of free energy change and enthalpy change, and 13.29 kJ mol−1 of adsorption energy.

Kinetics, Isotherm, and Thermodynamic Studies of Methylene Blue Adsorption on Polyaniline and Polypyrrole Macro-Nanoparticles Synthesized by C-Dot-Initiated Polymerization

This work unraveled kinetics, isotherm, and thermodynamic properties of methylene blue (MB) adsorbed on polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (PPY). The two polymers, PANI and PPY, synthesized by a facile C-dot (CD)-initiated polymerization method have been proven as the effective adsorbent materials to remove MB from wastewater. This dye model is also generally employed as a redox indicator in analytical chemistry and exhibits blue in an oxidizing environment, but it is colorless when exposed to a reducing agent. The effects of temperature, adsorbent amount contact time, and dye concentration were consistently examined. The adsorption capacity of the polymers at 28 °C could reach 19.2 mg/g. The adsorption equilibrium of the dye was attained after 90 and 120 min of contact time with PANI and PPY, respectively. The equilibrium details were well described by Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms. Results showed that PANI and PPY prepared using CD-initiated polymerization are better adsorbents compared to the commercial PANI powder for the removal of MB from water.

Fixed-bed study for bone char adsorptive removal of refractory organics from electrodialysis concentrate produced by petroleum refinery

Water reuse in industrial processes has been an increasing need encouraged in recent years. However, as the streams are recycled, solutes accumulate, thus requiring purification techniques. Membrane processes (reverse osmosis and electrodialysis) have been implemented and in order to increase the reuse of water at its highest level, crystallization has been evaluated to remove salts from the concentrate produced and get a feasible disposal. Nevertheless, contaminants affect the crystallization performance, thus making the removal of residual organics important for both the efficiency of crystallization and the increase of water reuse. In this context, aiming at establishing a sustainable virtuous circle, bone char (0.5-1.4 mm particle size, mesoporous structure) was used to remove refractory organics from an electrodialysis concentrate effluent (C-EDR) from a Brazilian petroleum refinery, at a lab-scale, in a fixed-bed adsorption column. Bone char selectively and partially removed the refractory organics, a complex mixture of long-chain hydrocarbons, aromatic compounds, carboxylic acids, amines and amides. The maximum adsorption capacity increased with the increase in bed depth and reduction in flow rate. A maximum removal of 35.60 mg g^-1 was achieved for the highest bed depth evaluated (12.9 cm). The breakthrough curves indicated that bone char could adsorb part of the organic compounds from the C-EDR. The scaling up was possible for the C/C₀ ratios of 0.55, 0.60 and 0.65, providing a service time at about 16 days for 45% removal efficiency for typical real operational conditions used in the refinery.

Synergistic effect of adsorption coupled with catalysis based on graphene-supported MOF hybrid aerogel for promoted removal of dyes

A three-dimensional MIL-100(Fe)/graphene hybrid aerogel (MG-HA) was fabricated via in situ decoration of graphene oxide with MIL-100(Fe) nanoparticles. The resulting MG-HA with interconnected pore structure was applied as both adsorbent and catalyst for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. The result shows that the saturation adsorption capacity of the MG-HA was as high as 333.33 mg g⁻¹, exceeding that of both the corresponding pristine graphene aerogel and MIL-100(Fe) nanoparticles. In the presence of hydrogen peroxide, MG-HA further exhibited catalytic degradation ability. The dual functions achieved a synergistic effect leading to the quick and complete removal of MB. The benefit was revealed in the treatment of high concentration of pollutants without leaving secondary pollution. The merit was intuitively demonstrated in the instant removal of MB through a model separation device in comparison with a series of common adsorbents. A feasible mathematic model was built based on the synergistic adsorption/catalysis process, which perfectly fitted the experimental data. A pseudo-second-order adsorption process and pseudo-first-order catalytic degradation kinetics were revealed. Additionally, the MG-HA was able to retain 93.4% of its initial removal efficiency after 5 cycles of application. The macro-material body can be easily separated and reused without a time-consuming and high-cost recycling process.

A three-dimensional MIL-100(Fe)/graphene hybrid aerogel was fabricated for highly efficient removal of dye pollutants via synergistic adsorption and degradation.

Kinetic and Thermodynamic Study of Phenol Removal from Water Using Activated Carbon Synthesizes from Avocado Kernel Seed

This study was aimed for removal of phenol from water using activated carbon synthesize from avocado kernel seeds by adsorption onto it. For adsorption process cleaned and washed avocado kernel seeds (Persea americana) were dried at 100°C in an oven overnight and carbonization was carried out by increasing the furnace temperature at a rate of 5 °C/min to a final temperature of 800 °C for 160 minutes. Then, the activated carbon was powdered and sieved, washed with distilled water until the solution pH reached 7.0. Optimization of activated carbon was performed through effects of solution pH, contact time; initial phenol concentration and temperature of the adsorption. The kinetic studies of the adsorption process were achieved by verifying various models and the data obtained was best fitted to pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The isotherms models were analyzed with Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin to validate the adsorption process. It was found that Langmuir model was best fitted to the obtained result for both adsorbents.

Kinetic and Thermodynamic Study of Phenol Removal from Water Using Activated Carbon Synthesizes from Avocado Kernel Seed

This study was aimed for removal of phenol from water using activated carbon synthesize from avocado kernel seeds by adsorption onto it. For adsorption process cleaned and washed avocado kernel seeds (Persea americana) were dried at 100°C in an oven overnight and carbonization was carried out by increasing the furnace temperature at a rate of 5 °C/min to a final temperature of 800 °C for 160 minutes. Then, the activated carbon was powdered and sieved, washed with distilled water until the solution pH reached 7.0. Optimization of activated carbon was performed through effects of solution pH, contact time; initial phenol concentration and temperature of the adsorption. The kinetic studies of the adsorption process were achieved by verifying various models and the data obtained was best fitted to pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The isotherms models were analyzed with Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin to validate the adsorption process. It was found that Langmuir model was best fitted to the obtained result for both adsorbents.

Designed preparation of 3D hierarchically porous carbon material via solvothermal route and in situ activation for ultrahigh-efficiency dye removal: adsorption isotherm, kinetics and thermodynamics characteristics

Herein, the first preparation of a novel 3D hierarchically porous carbon via pre-carbonization and in situ alkali activation, wherein meso-PDVB synthesized by a facile and general solvothermal route was used as the carbon precursor, is reported.

Equilibrium and kinetics of phosphorous adsorption onto bone charcoal from aqueous solution

Pyrolysis of fresh sheep bone led to the formation of bone charcoal (BC). The structural characteristics of BC and surface area were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). N2 gas adsorption-desorption was analysed by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm model. The prepared BC was used as an effective sorbent for the removal of phosphate from aqueous solutions. The effect of major parameters, including initial phosphorous concentration, sorbent dosage, pH and temperature, was investigated in this study. Furthermore, adsorption isotherms and kinetics were evaluated. BC was an effective sorbent in phosphate removal from aqueous solution especially in phosphate concentration between 2 and 100 mg/L. The maximum amount of sorption capacity was 30.21 mg/g, which was obtained with 100 mg/L as the initial phosphate concentration and 0.2 g as the sorbent dosage. Best reported pH in this study is 4; in higher pH, adsorption rate decreased dramatically. By increasing the temperature from 20 to 40 degrees C sorption capacity increased; this phenomenon described that adsorption is endothermic. Equilibrium data were analysed by Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherms. Pseudo first- and second-order and Elovich models were used to determine the kinetics of adsorption in this study. Collected data highly fitted with Freundlich isotherms and pseudo second-order kinetics. Achieved results have shown well the potentiality for the BC to be utilized as a natural sorbent to remove phosphorous from water and wastewater.

Kinetic and isotherm studies of adsorption and biosorption processes in the removal of phenolic compounds from aqueous solutions: comparative study

The phenolic compounds are known by their carcinogenicity and high toxicity as well as creating unpleasant taste and odor in water resources. The present study develops a cost-effective technology for the treatment of water contaminated with phenolic compounds, including Phenol (Ph), 2-chlorophenol (2-CP), and 4-chlorophenol (4-CP). So, two sorbents, rice bran ash (RBA) and biomass of brown algae, Cystoseiraindica, were used and results were compared with the commercially granular activated carbon (GAC). The phenolic compounds were determined using a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) under batch equilibrium conditions. The effects of contact time, pH, initial adsorbate concentration, and adsorbent dosages on the removal efficiency were studied. The adsorption data were simulated by isotherm and kinetic models. Results indicated that RBA and GAC had the lowest efficiency for the removal of 2-CP, while the order of removal efficiency for C. indica biomass was as follows: 2-CP > 4-CP > phenol. The efficiency of GAC was higher than those of other adsorbents for all of the phenolic compounds. Furthermore, the adsorption capacity of RBA was found to be higher than that of C. indica biomass. The optimal initial pH for the removal of phenol, 2-CP and 4-CP was determined to be 5, 7, and 7 for RBA, GAC, and algal biomass, respectively. Kinetic studies suggested that the pseudo-second order best fitted the kinetic data.

Adsorption and desorption of methylene blue on porous carbon monoliths and nanocrystalline cellulose

The dynamic batch adsorption of methylene blue (MB), a widely used and toxic dye, onto nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) and crushed powder of carbon monolith (CM) was investigated using the pseudo-first- and -second-order kinetics. CM outperformed NCC with a maximum capacity of 127 mg/g compared to 101 mg/g for NCC. The Langmuir isotherm model was applicable for describing the binding data for MB on CM and NCC, indicating the homogeneous surface of these two materials. The Gibbs free energy of -15.22 kJ/mol estimated for CM unravelled the spontaneous nature of this adsorbent for MB, appreciably faster than the use of NCC (-4.47 kJ/mol). Both pH and temperature exhibited only a modest effect on the adsorption of MB onto CM. The desorption of MB from CM using acetonitrile was very effective with more than 94 % of MB desorbed from CM within 10 min to allow the reusability of this porous carbon material. In contrast, acetonitrile was less effective than ethanol in desorbing MB from NCC. The two solvents were incapable of completely desorbing MB on commercial granular coal-derived activated carbon.

The investigation of kinetic and isotherm of fluoride adsorption onto functionalize pumice stone

In this research work, pumice that is functionalized by the cationic surfactant, hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium (HDTMA), is used as an adsorbent for the removal of fluoride from drinking water. This work was carried out in two parts. The effects of HDTMA loading, pH (3-10), reaction time (5-60 min) and the adsorbent dosage (0.15-2.5 g L(-1)) were investigated on the removal of fluoride as a target contaminate from water through the design of different experimental sets in the first part. The results from this first part revealed that surfactant-modified pumice (SMP) exhibited the best performance at dose 0.5 g L(-1), pH 6, and it adsorbs over 96% of fluoride from a solution containing 10 mg L(-1) fluoride after 30 min of mixing time. The four linear forms of the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherms model were applied to determine the best fit of equilibrium expressions. Apart from the regression coefficient (R(2)), four error functions were used to validate the isotherm and kinetics data. The experimental adsorption isotherm complies with Langmuir equation model type 1. The maximum amount of adsorption (Q(max)) was 41 mg g(-1). The kinetic studies indicated that the adsorption of fluoride best fitted with the pseudo-second-order kinetic type 1. Thermodynamic parameters evaluation of fluoride adsorption on SMP showed that the adsorption process under the selected conditions was spontaneous and endothermic. The suitability of SMP in defluoridation at field condition was investigated with natural groundwater samples collected from a nearby fluoride endemic area in the second part of this study. Based on this study's results, SMP was shown to be an affordable and a promising option for the removal of fluoride in drinking water.