Removal of Methylene Blue from Wastewater by Adsorption onto ZnCl2 Activated Corn Husk Carbon Equilibrium Studies

The removal of methylene blue by activated carbon of corn husk by ZnCl2 activation (CHAC(Z)) was investigated in the present study. Adsorption studies were performed by batch experiments. The effect of pH, initial dye concentration, adsorbent dose, the particle size of CHAC(Z), agitation speed, temperature, and contact time was explored. The equilibrium adsorption data were analyzed using two widely applied isotherms: Langmuir, Freundlich. Best fits were found to be Freundlich isotherm. Langmuir adsorption capacity (Q(m)) in 298, 308, and 318K is 462.96, 546.45, and 662.25mgg(-1). The amount of R-L indicates that CHAC(Z) has a favorable adsorption. Maximum MB removal was observed at pH 4.0. The results indicate that CHAC(Z) is an efficient adsorbent for removing dye from wastewater.