article · Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology
Activated carbon derived from corn cobs provides an effective medium for removing Congo red dye from liquid solutions. Evaluated under batch conditions, the material was analysed through spectroscopic and electron microscopy techniques to understand its structural and chemical properties. Laboratory testing examined the influence of variable operating factors, specifically dye concentrations between 10 and 50 milligrams per litre, contact durations from 5 to 160 minutes, and temperatures ranging from 30 to 50 degrees Celsius. In each case, higher concentrations, longer contact periods, and elevated temperatures led to an increase in the total amount of dye captured by the activated carbon. The uptake mechanism matched pseudo second-order kinetics and conformed most closely to the Langmuir isotherm model. Thermodynamic calculations confirmed that the overall uptake process is spontaneous and exothermic, demonstrating the feasibility of using agricultural waste to extract synthetic dyes from aqueous environments.
Synthetic dyes such as Congo red pose environmental challenges when discharged into water systems. Finding sustainable and low-cost materials to extract these pollutants is critical for cleaner wastewater management. Converting agricultural residues like corn cobs into functional activated carbon offers a practical route to tackle chemical waste, supporting circular resource use and cleaner industrial water treatments.
The findings point towards applications in industrial wastewater treatment, specifically for facilities discharging dye-bearing effluents such as textile or chemical processing plants. Operators seeking lower-cost adsorbents could benefit from agricultural byproduct valorisation. However, because the research is limited to small-scale laboratory batch experiments testing synthetic solutions, the technology remains at an early stage of development and requires pilot-scale continuous-flow testing before commercial use.
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This study investigates the adsorption of Congo red (CR) dye onto corn cob based activated carbon (CCAC) in the batch process. The activated carbon was characterized using FTIR, SEM, and EDX techniques, respectively. The effect of operational parameters such as the initial dye concentration (10–50 mg/L), contact time (5–160 minutes), and solution temperature (30–50°C) were studied. The amount of the CR dye adsorbed was found to increase as these operational parameters increased. Kinetic data for CR dye adsorption onto CCAC were best represented by the pseudo second-order kinetic model. Four different isotherms namely Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Dubinin-Radushkevich models were used to test the adsorption data. It fitted the Langmuir isotherm model most. Thermodynamic parameters such as ΔH0, ΔS0, and ΔG0 were evaluated. The adsorption process was found to be exothermic and spontaneous. The study shows that CCAC is an effective adsorbent for the adsorption of CR dye from aqueous solution.
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DOI: 10.1080/01932691.2016.1234384
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