Development and performance of modified adsorbents for methylene blue removal

This study addresses the urgent need for effective Methylene Blue (MB) removal from aqueous solutions due to its environmental and health hazards. Current treatment methods are often inefficient or costly, necessitating the development of superior adsorbents. The research focuses on the preparation and optimization of Activated Carbon (AC) derived from oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) and Activated Bentonite Clay (ABC) for MB adsorption. AC was produced using a multi-stage activation involving zinc chloride (ZnCl₂) at 700°C, sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) at 210°C, and ammonium sulfate ((NH₄)₂SO₄) at 260°C, while ABC was synthesized via sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) treatments at 110°C. Comprehensive characterization was conducted using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). The results revealed that AC achieved a remarkable MB removal efficiency of 99.91% with an adsorption capacity of 90.827 mg/g and a surface area of 939.63 m²/g, while BABC demonstrated a removal efficiency of 99.593% and an adsorption capacity of 22.131 mg/g with a surface area of 74.15 m²/g. Both adsorbents conformed to Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models and exhibited second-order kinetics. AC showed successful regeneration for up to 4 cycles and BABC for up to 3 cycles. The findings highlight the superior performance of AC and BABC compared to commercial activated carbon, underscoring their potential as cost-effective solutions for efficient water purification and contributing to advancements in environmental remediation technologies.

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