Removal of Brilliant Green Dye from Aqueous Solutions Using Home Made Activated Carbons

Activated carbon materials were prepared from the Brazilian pine-fruit shell (Araucaria angustifolia) by chemically activated carbon (CAC) and chemically and physically activated carbon (CPAC), and tested as adsorbents for the removal of brilliant green (BG) dye from aqueous effluents. The mixed activation process leads to increases in the specific surface area, average porous volume, and average porous diameter of the adsorbent CPAC when compared to CAC. The effects of shaking time, adsorbent dosage and pH on the adsorption capacity were studied. BG uptake was favorable at pH values ranging from 2.0 to 10.0 for both CAC and CPAC. The contact time required to obtain the equilibrium using CAC and CPAC as adsorbents was 4 h at 298 K, respectively. The fractionary-order kinetic model provided the best fit to experimental data compared with other models. Equilibrium data were better fit to the Sips and Redlich-Peterson isotherm models using CAC and CPAC as adsorbents. The enthalpy and entropy of adsorption of BG were obtained from adsorption experiments ranging from 298 to 323 K.