Microwave assisted alkali activated porous carbon from phenolic resin waste for high capacity methylene blue removal
摘要
Phenolic resin waste (PRW) is a carbon-rich industrial byproduct, and its improper disposal leads to environmental pollution and resource loss. In this study, a porous carbon material (PRWPC) with a well-developed porous structure and a large specific surface area (1760.6107 m2 g−1) was prepared from PRW via microwave-assisted alkaline activation and applied for methylene blue (MeB) removal from aqueous solution. Under the optimized conditions with an initial MeB concentration of 100 mg L−1, an adsorbent dosage of 10 mg, a contact time of 40 min, a temperature of 328 K, and pH = 11, PRWPC exhibits high adsorption performance, achieving a maximum adsorption capacity of 1482.35 mg g−1 with a removal efficiency of 98.8%. Kinetic analysis indicates that the adsorption process follows a pseudo-second-order model, while equilibrium data are well described by the Langmuir isotherm, suggesting monolayer adsorption dominated by micropore filling. Thermodynamic analysis reveals that the adsorption process is spontaneous and endothermic. Overall, this study demonstrates that microwave-assisted conversion of phenolic resin waste provides a feasible, low-cost, and sustainable strategy for the efficient removal of cationic dyes from wastewater.