Biosorption of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solution Using a Bioenergy Forest Waste: Xanthoceras sorbifolia Seed Coat

Xanthoceras sorbifolia seed coat (XSSC), a bioenergy forest waste, was used for the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. The effects of adsorbent dosage, pH, adsorbate concentration and contact time on MB biosorption were studied. The equilibrium adsorption data was analyzed by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The results indicated that the Langmuir model provided the best correlation with the experimental data. The adsorption capacity of XSSC for MB was determined with the Langmuir model and was found to be 178.6 mg/g at 298 K. The adsorption kinetic data was modeled using the pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, and intraparticle diffusion kinetic equations. It was seen that the pseudo-second order equation could describe the adsorption kinetics, and intraparticle diffusion was not the sole rate controlling factor. Thermodynamic parameters were also evaluated. Standard Gibbs free energy was spontaneous for all interactions, and the biosorption process exhibited exothermic standard enthalpy values. The results indicated that XSSC is an attractive alternative for removing cationic dyes from wastewater.