Low-cost, biodegradable and highly effective adsorbents for batch and column fixed bed adsorption processes of methylene blue

This work reports the preparation of low-cost and ecological bioadsorbents and study of their adsorption properties in the elimination of methylene blue dye (MB) from wastewater Unmodified citrus peels (UCP) and unmodified citrus peels encapsulated with calcium alginate (UCP/A) were characterized by elementary analysis, FTIR, DRX, SEM. Isotherm studies in the batch system were investigated and the maximum adsorbed amounts were found to be 185.83 and 964.54 mg/g respectively for UCP and UCP/A. The Langmuir model fitted well experimental data of isotherms with high coefficient correlation R-2, low RMSE and chi(2). Fixed bed adsorption was studied with operational conditions such as the bed height, MB flow rate and MB inlet concentration to test the performance of column. The breakthrough curves and the break time increase with the decrease of the rate flow and with the increased bed height. The highest bed capacity of 31.45 mg/g and highest percentage of MB solution treated (93.6%) was obtained using 2 mL/min rate flow, 200 mg/L inlet MB concentration and 3.5 cm (4 g) bed height. The breakthrough curves were fitted using Thomas and Yoon and Nelson models. The behaviors of the breakthrough and the R-2 founded by these models are high (R-2 > 0.97) which shows good applicability of models.