Adsorption of cationic dye from aqueous solution using composite chicken eggshell - Anthill clay: Optimization of adsorbent preparation conditions

Abstract

A composite adsorbent was prepared from anthill and eggshell mixture, using an incipient wetness impregnation method and it was used for an adsorption of cationic dye (methylene blue, MB) from an aqueous solution. The effects of three preparation parameters including calcination temperature, calcination time and mixing ratio of eggshell to anthill on the MB uptake were investigated using the central composite design (CCD) of response surface methodology (RSM). A quadratic model was developed to predict the response with a high accuracy. The optimal adsorbent sample was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy. The obtained results revealed that the calcination temperature significantly affected the MB adsorption. The optimum MB uptake of 23.87 mg/g was achieved under the optimum conditions including a calcination temperature of 823.45 °C, calcination time of 3.54 h and eggshell/anthill mixing ratio of 1.89:1. A detailed characterization of an optimal adsorbent sample confirmed the presence of pores, active functional groups and various molecular adsorption sites on its surface. Equilibrium adsorption isotherms and kinetics were also studied and it was revealed that the isotherms and kinetics data fitted well to the Freundlich model and pseudo-second-order kinetics model, respectively.