Chemical and structural evaluation of activated carbon prepared from jute sticks for Brilliant Green dye removal from aqueous solution

Removal of microplastics from aqueous media using activated jute stick charcoal

Microplastics (MPs), which are repositories of various pollutants, have significant effects on the people and the environment. Therefore, there is an urgent need for efficient and eco-friendly techniques to eliminate microplastics from water-based environments. This study introduces a new method for producing jute stick-activated charcoal (JSAC) by placing jute sticks on high-temperature pyrolysis without oxygen, followed by chemical activation with HCl. This process greatly enhances the adsorption capacity of JSAC for polyvinylchloride-based microplastics (PVC-MPs). JSAC was characterized using UV-Vis, FT-IR, XRD, and SEM studies both before and after adsorption. The study investigated the influence of pH, adsorbent quantity, and contact time on the optimization of the JSAC process. The PVC-MPs exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity of 94.12 % for the target MPs (5 g L-1) within 120 min when 10 g L-1 of JSAC was added at pH 7. This work also examined adsorption rate and various isotherm models. Adsorption kinetics analysis reveals electrostatic, hydrogen bond, π-π, and hydrophobic interactions are the combined forces responsible for MPs adsorption onto JSAC. However, the decrease in hydrophobicity in acidic or basic media led to a decrease in adsorption. The isotherm analysis was conducted using the Langmuir isotherm model, and predicted the maximum adsorption capacity of PVC-MPs to be 4.4668 mg/g. Furthermore, by employing density functional theory, the interaction energy after PVC-MP adsorption was calculated to be -269 kcal/mol, demonstrating robust adsorption and agreement with the experimental findings. Due to its large surface area and porous structure containing many functional groups, JSAC can potentially be used to treat MP contamination in water.

Bioremediation of Brilliant Green cationic dye from water using Nutraceutical Industrial Coriander Seed Spent as an adsorbent: adsorption isotherms, kinetic models, and thermodynamic studies

The article details a feasibility study of removing Brilliant Green (BG), a mutagenic dye from an aqueous solution by adsorption using low-cost coriander seed spent as a by-product in the nutraceutical industry. The study includes an analysis of the parameters that affect the adsorption process. The variables that have been identified include pH, dye concentration, process temperature, adsorbent amount, and particle size of the adsorbent. To obtain information on the adsorption process and to design the mechanism of the adsorption system on experimental equilibrium, 10 isotherm models, namely, Langmuir, Freundlich, Jovanovic, Dubinin-Radushkevich, Sips, Redlich-Peterson, Toth, Vieth-Sladek, Brouers-Sotolongo, and Radke-Prausnitz were applied. It was discovered that the experimental adsorption capacity, qe, was roughly 110 mg g-1. The result has a maximum adsorption of 136.17 mg g-1 as predicted by Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm. Diffusion film models, Dumwald-Wagner and Weber-Morris models, and pseudo-first- and second-order models, were used to determine the adsorption kinetics. It was realized that the adsorption kinetics data fit into a pseudo-second-order model. Thermodynamic analysis with a reduced enthalpy change suggests a physical process. The values of the thermodynamic parameters ΔG0, ΔH0, and ΔS0 demonstrated an endothermic and nearly spontaneous process of adsorption. The small valuation of ΔH0 specifies that the process is physical. FTIR spectroscopy and SEM imaging were used to confirm that the BG dye had been adsorbing on the adsorbent surface. The study concludes that NICSS is an effective adsorbent to extract BG dye from wastewater solutions, offers insights into numerous dye and adsorbent interaction possibilities and indicates that the process can be scaled to fit into the concept of circular economy.

Adsorption of Pb, Cu, and Ni Ions on Activated Carbon Prepared from Oak Cupules: Kinetics and Thermodynamics Studies

Agricultural residue-activated carbon and biochar, inexpensive and environmentally friendly adsorbent materials, have recently received significant research attention. This study investigated the potential use of oak cupules in activated carbon form to remove widespread heavy metals (Pb2+, Cu2+, and Ni2+) from wastewater. The oak-activated carbon was prepared from oak cupules and activated with phosphoric acid. Oak-activated carbon was characterized using FTIR, BET analysis, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The Freundlich, Langmuir, and Temkin isotherm models were used to assess the equilibrium data. The impact of various parameters, including pH effect, temperature, adsorbent dose, and contact time, was estimated. The Freundlich model was the most agreeable with Pb2+ adsorption by oak-based activated carbon, and Langmuir was more compatible with Cu2+ and Ni2+. Under optimum conditions, the average maximum removal was 63% Pb2+, 60% Cu2+, and 54% Ni2+ when every ion was alone in the aqueous solution. The removal was enhanced to 98% Pb2+, 72% Cu2+, and 60% Ni2+ when found as a mixture. The thermodynamic model revealed that the adsorption of ions by oak-based activated carbon is endothermic. The pseudo-second-order kinetic best describes the adsorption mechanism in this study; it verifies chemical sorption as the rate-limiting step in adsorption mechanisms. The oak-activated carbon was effective in removing Pb2+, Cu2+, and Ni2+ from wastewater and aqueous solutions.

Study on H2SO4-modified corn straw biochar as substrate material of constructed wetland

The high value resource utilization of corn straw is a long-term problem at present and in the future. Biochar preparation is an important utilization way of corn straw. The research on city tail water treated by constructed wetland (CW) with biochar was carried out to further increase the wastewater treatment capacity of the CW. Surface characterization, structural characteristics, and adsorption of straw biochar modified by different acids were measured. The study found that the ability of H2SO4 to remove ash from biochar was stronger than other acids and H2SO4-biochar was easy to be cleaned without H2SO4 residue. The performance of biochar modified by H2SO4 was obviously better than other acids, and the biochar adsorption was enhanced. The modification of biochar substrate modified by H2SO4 in CW reduced the change of electrical conductivity (EC) and promoted denitrification. H2SO4-modified biochar promoted the absorption of N and P by Iris pseudacorus L. The compound modification effect of straw biochar was obvious. The results revealed the acid modification characteristics of straw biochar, which were beneficial for increasing the wastewater treatment rate by CW. This study will promote the sustainable development of CW.

Removal of Brilliant Green Dye from Water Using Ficus benghalensis Tree Leaves as an Efficient Biosorbent

The presence of dyes in water stream is a major environmental problem that affects aquatic and human life negatively. Therefore, it is essential to remove dye from wastewater before its discharge into the water bodies. In this study, Banyan (Ficus benghalensis, F. benghalensis) tree leaves, a low-cost biosorbent, were used to remove brilliant green (BG), a cationic dye, from an aqueous solution. Batch model experiments were carried out by varying operational parameters, such as initial concentration of dye solution, contact time, adsorbent dose, and pH of the solution, to obtain optimum conditions for removing BG dye. Under optimum conditions, maximum percent removal of 97.3% and adsorption capacity (Qe) value of 19.5 mg/g were achieved (at pH 8, adsorbent dose 0.05 g, dye concentration 50 ppm, and 60 min contact time). The Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms were applied to the experimental data. The linear fit value, R² of Freundlich adsorption isotherm, was 0.93, indicating its best fit to our experimental data. A kinetic study was also carried out by implementing the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. The adsorption of BG on the selected biosorbent follows pseudo-second-order kinetics (R² = 0.99), indicating that transfer of internal and external mass co-occurs. This study surfaces the excellent adsorption capacity of Banyan tree leaves to remove cationic BG dye from aqueous solutions, including tap water, river water, and filtered river water. Therefore, the selected biosorbent is a cost-effective and easily accessible approach for removing toxic dyes from industrial effluents and wastewater.

Characterization and Ofloxacin Adsorption Studies of Chemically Modified Activated Carbon from Cassava Stem

Cassava is a type of crop popular in Asian countries. It can be easily cultivated and grows to a mature plant in 9 months. Considering its availability, this work studied activated carbon based on cassava stem. Ofloxacin was chosen as the adsorbate, simulating the wastewater from the pharmaceutical industry. Cassava stem was ground into particles and heated to the activated state, 787 °C. The cassava-stem-activated carbon was further treated with the surface modifier, namely sodium hydroxide and zinc chloride, to study the improvement in ofloxacin adsorption. Prepared adsorbents were characterised using the SEM, FT-IR, XRD, DSC and TGA methods before being evaluated through batch adsorption, thermodynamic, and kinetic studies. The surface area analysis indicates that treatment of the activated carbon with NaOH and ZnCl₂ increases the surface area due to the removal of organic content by the chemicals. Better ofloxacin adsorption of all activated carbon samples can be obtained with solutions at pH 8. An endothermic reaction was predicted, shown by higher ofloxacin adsorption at a higher temperature, supported by a positive value of ΔH° in the thermodynamic studies. The negative values of ΔG° revealed that adsorptions were spontaneous. The higher R² values indicate that the adsorption process follows the pseudo-second-order equation of kinetic study. The maximum adsorption capacities are 42.37, 62.11, 62.89 and 58.82 mg/g for raw cassava stem (RC), cassava-stem-activated carbon (AC), NaOH-modified cassava-stem-activated carbon (NAC), and ZnCl₂ modified cassava-stem-activated carbon (ZAC). The adsorption capacity is good compared to previous works by other researchers, making it a possible alternative material for the pharmaceutical industry’s wastewater treatment.

Thermo-catalytic conversion of waste plastics into surrogate fuels over spherical activated carbon of long-life durability

Recovery of value-added fuels or chemicals from waste plastics by pyrolysis is a promising way to eliminate the waste plastics accumulation and alleviate the energy crisis, while developing efficient catalysts of high durability remains a challenge. Herein, activated carbon spheres of various surface chemistry were fabricated and subsequently used in ex-situ catalytic pyrolysis of low-density polyethylene to produce jet fuel and gasoline-ranged hydrocarbons. Experiment results indicate that with the increase of activation time and temperature, the acidity of activated carbon increased slightly owning to the oxygen-containing functional groups increased, and the specific surface area reached the maximum value (707 m²/g) at the activation condition of 800℃ for 60 min. The enlarged specific surface area promotes the C-C bond cleavage that releases more small gases at the expense of liquid yield, and the increase in density of oxygen-containing functional groups and acidity boosts the formation of aromatic hydrocarbons in liquid. When the activated carbon spheres were activated at 800℃ for 80 min, 100% of the hydrocarbons in the liquid belonged to jet fuel and gasoline, and their selectivity was 81.70 area.% and 96.25 area.%, respectively. More importantly, the catalyst exhibits excellent catalytic activity after four reactivation cycles, where the quality of the liquid product is similar to or even better than that achieved by the fresh catalyst. Furthermore, the catalyst still showed excellent performance in the catalytic pyrolysis of waste plastic mixture.

Silk Sericin Enrichment through Electrodeposition and Carbonous Materials for the Removal of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solution

The recycling and reuse of biomass waste for the preparation of carbon-based adsorbents is a sustainable development strategy that has a positive environmental impact. It is well known that a large amount of silk sericin (SS) is dissolved in the wastewater from the silk industry. Utilizing the SS instead of discharging it into the environment without further treatment would reduce environmental and ecological problems. However, effective enrichment of the SS from the aqueous solution is a challenge. Here, with the help of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS), which can form a gel structure under low voltage, an SS/CMCS hydrogel with SS as the major component was prepared via electrodeposition at a 3 V direct-current (DC) voltage for five minutes. Following a carbonization process, an SS-based adsorbent with good performance for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from an aqueous solution was prepared. Our results reveal that the SS/CMCS hydrogel maintains a porous architecture before and after carbonization. Such structure provides abundant adsorption sites facilitating the adsorption of MB molecules, with a maximum adsorptive capacity of 231.79 mg/g. In addition, it suggests that the adsorption is an exothermic process, has a good fit with the Langmuir model, and follows the intra-particle diffusion model. The presented work provides an economical and feasible path for the treatment of wastewater from dyeing and printing.

One step acid modification of the residual bark from Campomanesia guazumifolia using H2SO4 and application in the removal of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic from aqueous solution

The residual bark of the tree species Campomanesia guazumifolia was successfully modified with H₂SO₄ and applied to remove the toxic herbicide 2.4-dichlorophenoxyacetic (2.4-D) from aqueous solutions. The characterization techniques made it possible to observe that the material maintained its amorphous structure; however, a new FTIR band emerged, indicating the interaction of the lignocellulosic matrix with sulfuric acid. Micrographs showed that the material maintained its irregular shape; however, new spaces and cavities appeared after the acidic modification. Regardless of the herbicide concentration, the system tended to equilibrium after 120 min. Using the best statistical coefficients, the Elovich model was the one that best fitted the kinetic data. The temperature increase in the system negatively influenced the adsorption of 2.4-D, reaching a maximum capacity of 312.81 mg g^-1 at 298 K. The equilibrium curves showed a better fit to the Tóth model. Thermodynamic parameters confirmed the exothermic nature of the system (ΔH⁰ = -59.86 kJ mol^-1). As a residue obtained from urban pruning, the bark of Campomanesia guazumifolia treated with sulfuric acid is a promising and highly efficient alternative for removing the widely used and toxic 2.4-D herbicide from aqueous solutions.

Present Status and Future Prospects of Jute in Nanotechnology: A Review

Nanotechnology has transformed the world with its diverse applications, ranging from industrial developments to impacting our daily lives. It has multiple applications throughout financial sectors and enables the development of facilitating scientific endeavors with extensive commercial potentials. Nanomaterials, especially the ones which have shown biomedical and other health-related properties, have added new dimensions to the field of nanotechnology. Recently, the use of bioresources in nanotechnology has gained significant attention from the scientific community due to its 100 % eco-friendly features, availability, and low costs. In this context, jute offers a considerable potential. Globally, its plant produces the second most common natural cellulose fibers and a large amount of jute sticks as a byproduct. The main chemical compositions of jute fibers and sticks, which have a trace amount of ash content, are cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. This makes jute as an ideal source of pure nanocellulose, nano-lignin, and nanocarbon preparation. It has also been used as a source in the evolution of nanomaterials used in various applications. In addition, hemicellulose and lignin, which are extractable from jute fibers and sticks, could be utilized as a reductant/stabilizer for preparing other nanomaterials. This review highlights the status and prospects of jute in nanotechnology. Different research areas in which jute can be applied, such as in nanocellulose preparation, as scaffolds for other nanomaterials, catalysis, carbon preparation, life sciences, coatings, polymers, energy storage, drug delivery, fertilizer delivery, electrochemistry, reductant, and stabilizer for synthesizing other nanomaterials, petroleum industry, paper industry, polymeric nanocomposites, sensors, coatings, and electronics, have been summarized in detail. We hope that these prospects will serve as a precursor of jute-based nanotechnology research in the future.

Preparation and Utilization of Jute-Derived Carbon: A Short Review

This article summarizes the preparation and applications of carbon derived from jute sticks and fibers that are low-cost, widely available, renewable, and environmentally friendly. Both the fibers and sticks are considered ideal candidates of carbon preparation because they are composed of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin, and contain negligible ash content. Various carbon preparation methods including simple pyrolysis, pyrolysis with chemical and physical activations are discussed. The impacts of several parameters including types of activating agents, impregnation ratio, and temperature on their morphology, surface area, pore size, crystallinity, and surface functional groups are also emphasized. Various treatments to endow functionalization for increasing the practical applicability, such as chemical, physical, and physico-chemical methods, are discussed. In addition, applications of jute-derived carbon in various practical areas, including energy storage, water treatment, and sensors, are also highlighted in this report. Due to the porous fine structure and a large specific surface area, the jute-derived carbon could be considered as a powerful candidate material for various industrial applications. Finally, possible future prospects of jute-derived carbon for various applications are pointed out.

Reusability of brilliant green dye contaminated wastewater using corncob biochar and Brevibacillus parabrevis: hybrid treatment and kinetic studies

This work highlights the potential of corncob biochar (CCBC) and Brevibacillus parabrevis for the decolorization of brilliant green (BG) dye from synthetically prepared contaminated wastewater. The CCBC was characterized by proximate, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, respectively. Different parameters affecting the adsorption process were evaluated. The experimental results were analyzed by the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. Kinetic results were examined by different models; pseudo-second-order model has shown the best fit to the experimental data. Anew positive values of ΔH^o (172.58 kJ/mol) and ΔS^o (569.97 J/K/mol) in the temperature range of 303-318 K revealed that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. The present investigation showed that the bacteria immobilized with CCBC showed better BG dye degradation. The kinetic parameters, μ_max, Ks, and μ _max, were found to be 0.5 per day, 39.4 mg/day, and 0.012 L/mg/day using Monod model, respectively. The adsorbent with bacteria showed good potential for the removal of cationic BG dye and can be considered for the remediation of industrial effluent.

TV, Huamani-Palomino RG, Baena-Moncada AM. Simultaneous adsorption of a ternary mixture of brilliant green, rhodamine B and methyl orange as artificial wastewater onto biochar from cocoa pod husk waste. Quantification of dyes using the derivative spectrophotometry method

Biochar obtained from cocoa pod husk waste for the simultaneous adsorption of a ternary mixture of brilliant green, rhodamine B and methyl orange.

A simple and effective synthesis of magnetic γ-Fe2O3@SiO2@TiO2-Ag microspheres as a recyclable photocatalyst: dye degradation and antibacterial potential

PURPOSE AND METHODS

In this study, an effective technique for synthesizing γ-Fe₂O₃@SiO₂@TiO₂-Ag magnetically separable photocatalyst was introduced by combining co-precipitation, sol-gel, and photo-deposition methods. A series of analyses including FTIR, SEM, EDS, XRD, and VSM were applied to characterize the prepared materials and the investigations on photocatalytic activity of the prepared composites were accomplished.

RESULTS

Compared to bare γ-Fe₂O₃@SiO₂@TiO₂, the Ag-doped composite was more active in terms of photocatalytic characteristics. By applying γ-Fe₂O₃@SiO₂@TiO₂-Ag, the decomposition rate of the Basic blue 41 reached to about 94% after 3 h of UV irradiation; this rate was 63% for pure γ-Fe₂O₃@SiO₂@TiO₂. The results indicated that the dye degradation kinetics followed first-order kinetic model. During the five cycles of separation, it was observed that the Ag-doped composite was greatly effective and stable in terms of recycling. Moreover, the results indicated that antibacterial activity of γ-Fe₂O₃@SiO₂@TiO₂-Ag was remarkably stronger than that of pure Fe₂O₃@SiO₂@TiO₂ particles.

CONCLUSION

It was concluded that by modifying magnetic TiO₂ by silver nanoparticles, charge separation was eased by catching photo-generated electrons, resulted in an enhanced photo- and biological activity. Graphical abstract.

Applications of Fe3O4@AC nanoparticles for dye removal from simulated wastewater

This study deals with the removal of cationic dyes from the simulated wastewater using Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles loaded activated carbon. Fe₃O₄@AC nanoparticles were synthesised using co-precipitation methods. The Fe₃O₄@AC nanoparticles (nps) were characterised using different techniques and data revealed that the synthesised nanoparticles were 6-16 nm in diameter. pHpzc of Fe₃O₄@AC nanoparticles was 7.8. BET surface area of Fe₃O₄@AC nps was found to be 129.6 m²/g by single point method and 1061.9 m²/g by multipoint method. Adsorption experiments were performed to optimize the effect of process conditions such as pH of solution, nanoparticles dose, temperature, concentration of dye and contact time on contaminant removal. The maximum uptake capacity of Fe₃O₄@AC was found to be 138 and 166.6 mg/g for methylene blue and brilliant green dyes, respectively. In order to assess dye adsorption behaviour, adsorption isotherm models viz., Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin were applied to the data. Langmuir isotherm best fitted [R² = 0.993 (MB) and R² = 0.920 (BG)] to the experimental data of both the dyes. Further, Pseudo-second order rate equation fitted better to the experimental data. Reuse potential of the nanoparticles was also investigated for the removal of both the dyes and it is inferred from the data that the synthesised nanoadsorbent has promising reuse potential, therefore can be used for several cycles.

Adsorption of SOx and NOx in activated viscose fibers

SOx and NOx are emissions resulting from combustion processes and are the main agents that contribute to the formation of acid rain, which causes harm to humans and the environment. Several techniques for removing these pollutants are applied in i.e. oil refineries, thermoelectric that use petroleum oils and vehicular pollution. Among these, highlight the adsorption of contaminants by the usage of activated carbon fibers and activated carbon, which are characterized by high surface area and uniform distribution of pores, providing appropriate conditions for application in processes of removing environmental contaminants. In the present work, activated viscose fibers (AVF) were prepared and applied in adsorption experiments of NO and SO2. The materials produced showed high values of surface area, with a predominance of micro pores with diameters in the range of 1.0 nm. The AVF had satisfactory performance in the removal of contaminants and are compatible with other synthetic fibers. Thus, the formation of active sites of carbon provides contaminants adsorption, demonstrating that carbon fibers cloth can be applied for the removal of pollutants.

Characterization of the carbonaceous materials obtained from different agro-industrial wastes

This paper reports the preparation and characterization of carbonaceous materials obtained from three types of vegetable wastes provided by agricultural industries. Soft carbonization (280°C) and H3PO4-activation procedures were used to convert the agricultural wastes to carbon powders with high adsorbent capacities. This process is excellent for eliminating and exploiting the huge masses (many tons) of vegetable residues remaining after each harvest every year in several Colombian agro-industries. The powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and N2-adsorption isotherms. XRD and IR verified the formation of carbons, and SEM showed small particles (20-500 µm) with characteristic morphology for each type of residue used and abundant cavities of different sizes. The N2-adsorption analyses showed that the carbons had high adsorption capacities with important surface area values and large pore volumes. The use of the activated carbonaceous materials as adsorbent of azo dyes (allura red and sunset yellow) from aqueous solutions was evaluated. The results showed a good adsorption capacity indicating the potentiality of these materials as pollutant adsorbents in food industry wastewaters. These results indicate that these powders can be used as potential adsorbents for different gaseous or liquid pollutants.

A hybrid artificial neural network and particle swarm optimization for prediction of removal of hazardous dye brilliant green from aqueous solution using zinc sulfide nanoparticle loaded on activated carbon

In the present study, zinc sulfide nanoparticle loaded on activated carbon (ZnS-NP-AC) simply was synthesized in the presence of ultrasound and characterized using different techniques such as SEM and BET analysis. Then, this material was used for brilliant green (BG) removal. To dependency of BG removal percentage toward various parameters including pH, adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration and contact time were examined and optimized. The mechanism and rate of adsorption was ascertained by analyzing experimental data at various time to conventional kinetic models such as pseudo-first-order and second order, Elovich and intra-particle diffusion models. Comparison according to general criterion such as relative error in adsorption capacity and correlation coefficient confirm the usability of pseudo-second-order kinetic model for explanation of data. The Langmuir models is efficiently can explained the behavior of adsorption system to give full information about interaction of BG with ZnS-NP-AC. A multiple linear regression (MLR) and a hybrid of artificial neural network and partial swarm optimization (ANN-PSO) model were used for prediction of brilliant green adsorption onto ZnS-NP-AC. Comparison of the results obtained using offered models confirm higher ability of ANN model compare to the MLR model for prediction of BG adsorption onto ZnS-NP-AC. Using the optimal ANN-PSO model the coefficient of determination (R(2)) were 0.9610 and 0.9506; mean squared error (MSE) values were 0.0020 and 0.0022 for the training and testing data set, respectively.

Preparation of magnetic core–shell iron oxide@silica@nickel-ethylene glycol microspheres for highly efficient sorption of uranium(vi)

We report a facile approach for the formation of magnetic core–shell iron oxide@silica@nickel-ethylene glycol (Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@Ni-L) microspheres.

Uranium extraction using a magnetic CoFe2O4–graphene nanocomposite: kinetics and thermodynamics studies

CoFe₂O₄–rGO was prepared and exhibits fast and efficient sorption for uranium(vi).

Brazilian natural fiber (jute) as raw material for activated carbon production

Jute fiber is the second most common natural cellulose fiber worldwide, especially in recent years, due to its excellent physical, chemical and structural properties. The objective of this paper was to investigate: the thermal degradation of in natura jute fiber, and the production and characterization of the generated activated carbon. The production consisted of carbonization of the jute fiber and activation with steam. During the activation step the amorphous carbon produced in the initial carbonization step reacted with oxidizing gas, forming new pores and opening closed pores, which enhanced the adsorptive capacity of the activated carbon. N2 gas adsorption at 77K was used in order to evaluate the effect of the carbonization and activation steps. The results of the adsorption indicate the possibility of producing a porous material with a combination of microporous and mesoporous structure, depending on the parameters used in the processes, with resulting specific surface area around 470 m2.g–1. The thermal analysis indicates that above 600°C there is no significant mass loss.

Modeling of experimental data for the adsorption of methyl orange from aqueous solution using a low cost activated carbon prepared from Prosopis juliflora

This paper presents the feasibility for the removal of methyl orange (MO) dye from aqueous solution using an activated carbon prepared from Prosopis juliflora bark. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out as a function of pH, contact time, adsorbate concentration, adsorbent dosage and temperature. The commonly applicable isotherms namely Freundlich and Langmuir equations are used for the prediction of isotherm parameters. A comparison of linear least-square method and a trial-and-error non-linear method are examined in Freundlich and Langmuir (Four forms) isotherms. The nature of adsorption isotherm feasibility was evaluated with dimensionless separation factors (RL). The dynamics of adsorption process was analyzed with Lagergren’s Pseudo-first order and Pseudo-second order kinetic equations. Thermodynamic parameters like the change in enthalpy (ΔHo), change in entropy (ΔSo) and change in Gibbs free energy (ΔGo) were evaluated and ΔGo shows a negative value whereas ΔHo shows the positive value indicating that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic in nature. The functional group characterization of the adsorbent was done using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The thermal stability of activated carbon was analyzed using Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) and Differential thermal analysis (DTA).

Adsorption of food dyes acid blue 9 and food yellow 3 onto chitosan: stirring rate effect in kinetics and mechanism

Adsorption of food dyes acid blue 9 and food yellow 3 onto chitosan was studied. Stirring rate influence on kinetics and mechanism was verified. Infra-red analysis was carried out before and after adsorption in order to verify the adsorption nature. Adsorption experiments were carried out in batch systems with different stirring rates (15-400 rpm). Kinetic behavior was analyzed through the pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and Elovich models. Adsorption mechanism was verified according to the film diffusion model and HSDM model. Pseudo-second-order and Elovich models were satisfactory in order to represent experimental data in all stirring rates. For both dyes, adsorption occurred by film and intraparticle diffusion, and the stirring rate increase caused a decrease in film diffusion resistance. Therefore, the film diffusivity increased the adsorption capacity and, consequently, intraparticle diffusivity increased. In all stirring rates, the rate-limiting step was film diffusion. Adsorption of acid blue 9 and food yellow 3 onto chitosan occurred by chemiosorption.

Removal of lead from aqueous solution by activated carbon prepared from Enteromorpha prolifera by zinc chloride activation

Activated carbon was prepared from Enteromorpha prolifera (EP) by zinc chloride activation. The physico-chemical properties of EP-activated carbon (EPAC) were characterized by thermal stability, zeta potential and Boehm titration methods. The examination showed that EPAC has a porous structure with a high surface area of 1688 m(2)/g. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out to study the effect of various parameters such as initial pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time and temperature on Pb(II) ions adsorption properties by EPAC. The kinetic studies showed that the adsorption data followed a pseudo second-order kinetic model. The isotherm analysis indicated that the adsorption data can be represented by Freundlich isotherm model. Thermodynamic studies indicated that the adsorption reaction was a spontaneous and endothermic process.