Nanoporous activated carbon prepared from karanj (Pongamia pinnata) fruit hulls for methylene blue adsorption

In this study, karanj (Pongamia pinnata) fruit hulls were used as a precursor to prepare low-cost activated carbon with a large surface area through KOH activation. The prepared activated carbon (KFHAC) was characterized through pore structural analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. KFHAC presents a BET surface area of 828.30 m(2)/g, a micropore volume of 0.36 cm(3)/g, and an average pore size of 19.92 A The adsorption performance of KFHAC was evaluated using methylene blue (MB) as the model adsorbate. Adsorption experiments indicated that the pseudo -second -order kinetic and Langmuir adsorption isotherm models can accurately describe the adsorption process. The maximum adsorption capacities (q(m)) of MB were 154.8, 203.4, and 239.4 mg/g at 30 degrees C, 40 degrees C, and 50 degrees C, respectively. This study indicates that karanj fruit hull is a promising precursor for the production of low-cost and efficient activated carbon with a large surface area. (C) 2017 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.