Adsorption of Malachite Green dye onto activated carbon derived from Borassus aethiopum flower biomass

In the present study, chemically prepared activated carbon derived from Borassus aethiopum flower was used as adsorbent. Batch adsorption studies were performed for the removal of Malachite Green (MG) from aqueous solutions by varying the parameters like initial solution pH, adsorbent dosage, initial MG concentration and temperature with three different particle sizes such as 100 mu m, 600 mu m and 1000 mu m. The zero point charge was 2.5 and the maximum adsorption occurred at the pH range from 6.0 to 8.0. Experimental data were analyzed by model equations such as Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherms and it was found that the Langmuir isotherm model best fitted the adsorption data. Thermodynamic parameters such as Delta G, Delta H and Delta S were also calculated for the adsorption processes. Adsorption rate constants were determined using pseudo first-order, pseudo second-order rate equations and also Elovich model and intraparticle diffusion models. The results clearly showed that the adsorption of MG onto PFAC followed pseudo second-order model and the adsorption was both by film diffusion and by intraparticle diffusion. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.