High-quality mesoporous adsorbent derived from pomegranate pomace for efficient removal of azo dye from textile wastewater: Influencing factors, reusability, and mechanism studies
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: The solid waste from the processing of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) juice, known as pomegranate pomace, was utilized as an economical and readily available precursor to produce high-quality activated carbon (AC). The AC was synthesized using a low-cost method at a carbonization temperature of 600 °C, employing a 1:1 impregnation ratio (precursor/H 3 PO 4 ), and activating for 1 h. Various characterization techniques, including SEM imaging, XRD analysis, FT-IR analysis, BET surface area analysis with pore size determination , and other physicochemical assessments, were conducted on the produced AC. To assess its efficacy in treating textile wastewater, Basic Yellow 28 (BY 28) dye was selected as a representative pollutant. The results displayed a mesoporous structure in the produced AC with a mesopore content of 78.82 %. Notably, it exhibited a high BET surface area of 1089.08 m 2 /g and a total pore volume of 1 cm 3 /g. The Langmuir non-linear isotherm model emerged as the most fitting for explaining the adsorption equilibrium data, revealing a substantial monolayer adsorption capacity of 659.13 mg/g at 20 °C. The experimental data fit into a pseudo-second-order kinetic model , where the rate-determining step was found to be intra-particle diffusion. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that the adsorption of BY 28 dye onto the produced AC was an exothermic process . The produced AC exhibited high stability, as demonstrated in desorption studies, maintaining effectiveness through multiple uses. These results signify the potential of using pomegranate pomace, an environmentally problematic waste, as a novel precursor for producing sustainable and cost-effective AC.
Language: English
Subfield: Water Science and Technology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $1,000
OpenAlex ID: W4401835487