Application of corn silk and synthesized activated carbon as a notable absorbent for methylene blue removal: A comparative study

In this research, the absorption of methylene blue (MB) dye onto the corn silk and the activated carbon synthesized samples from it (activation using H۳PO۴, H۲SO۴, NaOH, and KOH) was studied through a microwave-assisted technique with a chemical process. The surface morphology and functional groups of these absorbents were studied using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, respectively. Absorbtion isotherms and thermodynamics of absorption were investigated to compare adsorption capacity, adsorption rate, and mechanism of absorption processes. The results of the FESEM affirmed that the prepared activated carbon samples is permeable, which is an advantage for more efficient removal of contaminants. Isotherms studies results indicated that the data followed the Langmuir isotherm, and calculation of thermodynamic parameters showed the exothermic and spontaneous nature of the adsorption process. The kinetic studies revealed that the pseudo-second order model was best fitted to the results. Altogether, this study showed that corn silk and activated carbon synthesized from it are the cost-effective biosorbent that in addition to successfully removing MB dye from wastewater, also improve environmental conditions from the aspect of agricultural waste management.

کلیدواژه ها:

absorption process ، corn silk ، activated carbon ، microwave ، RSM