Investigation of Adsorptive Removal of Methylene Blue from Synthetic Wastewater Using Polymeric Composite

Abstract

Recycling polymeric waste into another useful material is considered to be the preferred way of taking care of the issues of slow degradable plastic waste, particularly in anticipation of natural contamination. In this study, the adsorptive treatment of Methylene Blue (MB) using adsorbents from chemically recycled polymeric waste was investigated. Three polymeric materials were employed in this study: styrofoam waste (EPS1), intruded extended polystyrene (EPS2), and sunflower xylem (Tithonia diversifolia xylem) (TDX). The alterations in microscopic surface morphology before and after the adsorption process were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) system to resolve the intercalation of MB with the adsorbent. The experimental batch data was collected and the effects of concentration and contact time on the removal of MB from synthetic wastewater were studied. Adsorption kinetics, equilibrium, and thermodynamics were studied and fitted by various models. According to the result, the uptake of adsorbate increased as contact time and concentration rose, with the pseudo-second-order model best depicting the adsorption kinetics.