APPLICATION OF ACTIVATED CARBON PREPARED FROM OLIVE STONES IN THE REMOVAL OF TWO BASIC DYES FROM WATER

Abstract

Olive stones is produced in large quantities during the manufacture process of the olive oil in the Tunisian oleic industry. This by-product. have been converted to granular activated carbon by carbonisation in the nitrogen atmosphere followed by steam activation. Activated carbon so obtained with 1150 m2/g specific surface area and 0,53 cm3/g pore volume, essentially microporous, has been used for the adsorption of two basic dyes: Methylene Blue (MB) and Rhodamine B (RB) in aqueous solution. The equilibrium adsorption isotherms of the two dyes at 30°C shows Langmuir shape. The maximum adsorption capacity of MB and RB are found to be 303 mg/g and 217 mg/g respectively. Adsorbent affinity to tested dyes is related to electric and steric effects.


KEY WORDS: Olive stones, activated carbon, Methylene Blue, Rhodamine B, adsorption


Global Jnl Pure & Applied Sciences Vol.10(1) 2004: 91-94