MEASUREMENT OF ADSORPTION DYNAMICS OF REACTIVE RED DYE ONTO ACID AND BASE SURFACE MODIFIED ACTIVATED CARBON PREPARED FROM BARK OF THESPESIA POPULNEA

Abstract

The activated carbon from Thespesia populnea barks were prepared using orthogonal array experimental design method
with the parameters such as microwave radiation power, radiation time and concentration of H3PO4 solution. Optimized
conditions were found to be, radiation power 850W, radiation time 15 min, 50 % of H3PO4
and impregnation time 24
hours. Carbon prepared was designated as TPBC (Thespesia Populnea Bark Carbon). Ten (10) g TPBC was impregnated
with 25% concentrations of hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide solution separately and heated in a microwave oven
(radiation power 850 W, radiation time 10 min) to improve the structural characteristics of the adsorbents for enhanced
reactive red dye removal. The other two carbons were designated as A20TPBC and B20TPBC. Influence of the
parameters such as initial dye concentration and temperature on adsorption was studied. Batch mode adsorption
experiments were carried out for the removal of Reactive Red dye (RR dye) from aqueous solution using TPBC,
A20TPBC and B20TPBC. Influence of the parameters such as dose of the adsorbent, agitation time, initial dye
concentration, pH of the solution on adsorption were studied. Kinetics of the system was studied with linearized forms
of Legergren, Ho and Webber Morris models. The MSSE result revealed that present system followed pseudo second
order kinetics equation with the intra particle diffusion as the rate determining step.