Adsorption of methylene blue dye on steam-activated carbon prepared from waste tyres using fluidized bed reactor

The adsorption of methylene blue dye from aqueous solutions.. on activated carbon from waste tyres was studied in a batch system for initial concentration (100-500mg/L) at temperature 30 degrees C. The activated carbon was prepared by two stage method: carbonization and activation. The carbonization process was done in fluidized bed reactor at 500 degrees C followed by activation in the presence of steam at 850 degrees C for 2 hours. The experimental isotherm data were analyzed using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The equilibrium data were best represented by Langmuir isotherm model, with maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 169.5 mg/g. The kinetic data were fitted to pseudo first order and pseudo second order models and was found to follow the pseudo second order kinetic model. Waste tyre was to be a promising precursor to be converted to activated carbon.