Experimental investigation of activated carbon prepared from apricot stones material (ASM) adsorbent for removal of malachite green (MG) from aqueous solution

Abstract

The adsorption of malachite green onto activated carbon prepared from apricot stones material has been investigated at batch conditions. The effects of contact time (0–60 min), initial pH (3–11), agitation speed (100–700 r/min), temperature (298–343 K), adsorbent dose (1–10 g/L), and malachite green concentration (4.45–17.6 mg/L) on the malachite green adsorption by apricot stones material have been studied. Malachite green removal increases over the contact time until equilibrium. The batch adsorption experiments were carried out to optimize the physical parameters on the malachite green removal efficiency. It has been found that 23.80 mg/g at 25°C and 88.05 mg/g at 70°C were removed. The kinetic parameters, rate constants and equilibrium adsorption capacities, were calculated and discussed for each kinetic model. The adsorption of malachite green onto apricot stones material is well described by the pseudo second-order equation. The experimental isotherm data were analyzed by different models; the adsorption follows the Langmuir model, providing a better fit of the equilibrium data. The thermodynamics parameters such as the negative free energy ΔG° (−0.191 to −4.447 kJ/mol) and positive enthalpy ΔH° (50.86 kJ/mol) indicated the spontaneous and endothermic nature of the malachite green adsorption with a chemisorption process.