Adsorption of methylene blue from aqueous solution onto activated carbons developed from eucalyptus bark and Crataegus oxyacantha core

Abstract

In this study, eucalyptus bark and Crataegus oxyacantha core-based activated carbon were synthesized and their morphological features characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques. The efficiency of synthesized adsorbents in removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution was investigated in a series of batch experiments. Furthermore, the influences of various experimental factors involving the contact time, the initial dye concentration, the adsorbent dosage, and the pH of the dye solution were investigated. The point of zero charge (pHpzc) of the applied adsorbents was also determined. In addition, the experimental data were expressed by Langmuir, Freundlich and Tempkin isotherms and pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order kinetic models. Adsorption equilibrium of the two adsorbents was reached within 1 h for MB concentrations of 20 to 100 mg/L. The equilibrium data obtained at optimum conditions of MB sorption by eucalyptus bark activated carbon and Crataegus oxyacantha core activated carbon were best fitted to Tempkin and Langmuir isotherm models, respectively. Besides, it was revealed that the adsorption rate follows a pseudo-second order kinetic model. From the findings of this study, it can be postulated that these adsorbents could be of great potential as a new class of adsorbents for organic dye removal from polluted water.