Use of Olea europaea leaves-based activated carbon for pollutant removal from liquid effluents

Abstract

Efficient adsorbents preparation from Olea europaea leaves by simple surface modification for Rosaniline Base and Chrysoidine R removal from simulated water have been investigated. Separate impregnation of powdered leaves in H2SO4 and KOH solutions (30%) followed by pyrolysis (500°C) during 2 h resulted in AH30 and AK30 adsorbents. Operating parameters effecting dyes adsorption such as contact time, adsorbent dose, pH and temperature were studied. Equilibrium data were analyzed using adsorption isotherms. Treatments were found to enhance the adsorption capacity significantly relative to their inactivated state (INACT). Langmuir model is more representative with adsorptive capacities enhancements due to treatments of up to 158.73 and 357.14 mg g–1 for CRD and RBD dyes, respectively, by AH30 compared with 129.87 and 270.27 mg g–1 by the commercial Merck activated carbon used as a reference. Chemical and physico-chemical methods such as Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy analyses, ATG/ATD, MEB/EDS, Boehm, iodine number, methylene blue index and pHzpc were performed to characterize the prepared adsorbents prior to their utilization. Adsorption mechanism was found to obey pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the sorption process is controlled by intra-particle diffusion. Thermodynamic analysis of both dyes confirms their spontaneity and exothermicity. These results showed that activated Olea europaea leaves prove to be very useful and efficient adsorbent in removing related toxic pollutants from textile wastewater.