Effect of activated carbons from rubber seed shell on Crystal Violet removal

Abstract

Dyes are complex organic compounds which are used by various industries to add colour to their products. Water bodies are polluted when these industries dispose their effluents to the environment. In this study, powdered activated carbon was prepared from rubber seed shells (RSS) and was employed in the removal of crystal violet from aqueous solution. The rubber seed shell was first activated using ammonium chloride, shared
 into two portions and was carbonized at 500 and 300^o C respectively. They were characterized in terms of bulk density, ash and moisture contents, surface area and IR Spectroscopy. Batch adsorption process which involved the use of these rubber seed shells was employed in the removal of crystal violet from aqueous solution. The effect of contact time, adsorbent dose, pH and dye concentration were investigated. The results showed that o maximum adsorption capacity of 500 C carbonized rubber seed shell was 97.93 % at 75 mins. The adsorbent dose, pH and optimum concentration were respectively 5.0 g, 10 and 10 mg/l. The maximum adsorption  capacity of 300^o C carbonized rubber seed shell was 96.73 % at 30 mins with an adsorbent dose of 5.0 g; pH of 10 and optimum concentration of 10 mg/l. The experimental data obtained were fitted into Freundlich,
Langmuir, Temkin and Frumkin adsorption isotherms and was found to fit into the four isotherms. However,  the rubber seed shell carbonized at 500^o C was found to be more effective in the removal of crystal violet from o aqueous solution than that carbonized at 300^o C. This might probably be due to the larger surface area.

Keywords: Activated Carbon, Rubber Seed Shell and Crystal Violet