Mesoporous carbonaceous material from fish scales as low-cost adsorbent for reactive orange 16 adsorption

This work investigates the possibility of utilizing carbonized fish (Labeo rohita) scales (CFS) as low-cost materials for the adsorption of reactive orange 16 dye (RO16) through batch processing. The textural and morphological characteristics of CFS were evaluated which showed mesoporous structure with BET surface area of 213.82 m(2)/g and average pore diameter of 5.116 nm. The effects of initial RO16 concentration (25-400 mg/l), solution pH (3-13), and temperature (30-50 degrees C) on the adsorption efficiency of the prepared CFS were demonstrated. The equilibrium isotherm data were best correlated using the Freundlich equation. The prepared CFS exhibited maximum adsorption capacities of 105.8, 107.2, and 114.2 mg/g at 30 degrees C, 40 degrees C, and 50 degrees C, respectively. The pseudo-second-order model well represented the adsorption kinetics. The prepared CFS had a high adsorption capacity for RO16 and could be utilized effectively for the removal of reactive dyes from wastewater. (C) 2016 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.