Fabrication of Activated Carbon from Biomass Waste as Adsorbent to Eliminate MB Dye from Contaminated Aqueous Solutions

The main aim of this work is to examine the adsorption mechanism of removing Methylene blue (MB) dye from aqueous solution using activated carbon prepared from palm tree fibers biomass waste (ACPTF) as a sustainable raw material by chemical–thermal activation (H3PO4). Batch method was used to study the adsorption experimental factors such as pH of the solution, adsorbent mass, concentration of dye and contact time. The equilibrium isotherms and kinetics of the adsorption process were studied. The desorption and regeneration of used ACPTF were examined to determine its efficiency to remove MB dye from wastewater. The results revealed that enhancement in adsorption capacity was observed at acidic medium pH 2. The maximum adsorption capacity 27.8 mg/g was obtained from an initial concentration 20 mg/L and an adsorbent dosage of 0.1 g. The high percentage removal of MB dye was 99.9% after 30 min contact time from aqueous solution. The adsorption isotherm study found that the adsorption process fitted well with the Langmuir model, with maximum adsorption capacity of 29.58 mg/g. The adsorption kinetic study found the adsorption process obeys pseudo-second-order model with correlation coefficients R2 value was 1.0. The ACPTF showed the ability to regenerate up to 5 successive cycles by using adjusted distilled water at pH 8.5 for desorption of MB. This indicated that the economical, renewable and efficient adsorbent ACPTF prepared from agriculture waste be used for the elimination of dye from wastewater with the possibility of its regeneration.