Adsorption of Remazol Brilliant Blue R by raw and carbonized macroalgal wastes

Abstract

In this study, adsorption of Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR) dye was carried out using Ulva lactuca, Codium fragileand their carbonization products; adsorption kinetics and isotherms were determined. Carbonized adsorbents wereproduced in a tubular furnace at the heating rate of 20˚C $min^{-1}$ and temperature of 500 ˚C with a nitrogen flow rate of300 ml $min^{-1}$. Adsorption was carried out in a shaking water bath at the temperature of 25 ˚C and shaking speed of200 rpm for 2 h. Carbonized adsorbents have been found to have greater adsorption capacity than raw biomass. Itwas seen that the adsorption lasted for 90 and 60 minutes for raw and carbonized adsorbents, respectively and thendesorption begun. Maximum adsorption was achieved with the carbonized Ulva lactuca macroalgae(2.11 mg $g^{-1}$). It has been found that the most suitable kinetic model for all absorbents was the pseudo-second-orderkinetic model. The best fit of equilibrium data for all adsorbents was described by the Langmuir model.