Title: Removal of rhodamine B cationic dye using activated carbon

Authors: Ana Lúcia Denardin Da Rosa; André Azevedo Machado; Calina Grazielli Dias Barros; Elvis Carissimi; Dison Stracke Pfingsten Franco; Guilherme Luiz Dotto

Addresses: Department of Sanitation and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Roraima Avenue, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil ' Department of Sanitation and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Roraima Avenue, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil ' Department of Sanitation and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Roraima Avenue, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil ' Department of Sanitation and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Roraima Avenue, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil ' Department of Environmental Processes Laboratory, Chemical Engineering, Federal University of Santa Maria, Roraima Avenue, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil ' Department of Environmental Processes Laboratory, Chemical Engineering, Federal University of Santa Maria, Roraima Avenue, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil

Abstract: The optimum conditions for the removal of rhodamine B (RhB) dye present in wastewater was tested using commercial activated carbon (AC). Adsorption tests were carried out in order to evaluate the effects of pH, contact time and temperature; the kinetics of adsorption was studied for dye concentrations ranging from 20 to 500 mg L−1 using pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order models. Equilibrium isotherms were analysed using Langmuir, Freundlich, and Sips models. Results showed that the AC had the highest adsorption capacity at pH 8.0 and a temperature of 25°C. The kinetic model that better fit the experimental data was pseudo-second order. The Sips isotherm showed the best performance and the adsorption capacity values were 147.58, 140.01, and 137.27 mg g−1 for the temperatures of 25, 35 and 45°C, respectively. Results indicated that adsorption using activated carbon has great potential for rhodamine B removal from effluents generated during stone dyeing processes.

Keywords: adsorption; dye removal; rhodamine B.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2021.118365

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2021 Vol.28 No.3, pp.263 - 281

Received: 17 Sep 2018
Accepted: 29 Aug 2019

Published online: 25 Oct 2021 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article