Sequestration of hazardous Brilliant Green dye from aqueous solution using low-cost agro-wastes : Activated carbon prepared from rice and barley husks

摘要

This study investigated the removal of Brilliant Green dye from aqueous solutions by adsorption on activated carbon prepared by chemical activation for Rice Husk (RH) and Barley Husk (BH) as a low-cost adsorbent. The activation and carbonization of these adsorbents increase the presence of carbon pores. The adsorption experiments were done by using various values of initial pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time and initial concentration of the adsorbate for raw and activated adsorbents. The results demonstrated that both activated carbon rice husk (AC-RH) and activated carbon barley husk (AC-BH) were highly effective as adsorbents in the removal of Brilliant Green dye. Generally, the maximum percentage removal of Brilliant Green by AC-RH, AC-BH, RH andBH was found to be 94, 90, 76 and 65%, respectively. Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherms were used to study the equilibrium results. The experimental results fitted good to the Freundlich isotherm.