Chemistry

ABSTRACT The adsorption of acid dye (Acid Orange 10), on a highly mesoporous activated carbon obtained from cotton boll pod by steam activation method was investigated in terms of size of dye molecule, pore size and surface charge of the activated carbon. The results were compared with that on a micro porous commercial activated carbon (CAC). The sterically small sized acid dye adsorption capacities of cotton boll pod (rind) carbon (ACBPC) and commercial activated carbon (CAC) were found to be 182.48 mg and 197.63 mg per g of the adsorbent respectively. The amounts of acid dye, which is large in one or two dimensions of molecular structures, adsorbed on the mesoporous ACBPC was much more comparable than that on micro-porous CAC. The adsorbed amounts of acid dye decreased with increasing pH (in alkaline pH) in which the pH>pHzpc of ACBPC. The results, suggest that the adsorption of acid dye on activated carbon varies greatly by changing pore size and surface charge of activated carbon. The results indicate that ACBPC could be employed as low-cost alternative to commercial activated carbon in wastewater treatment for the removal of acid dyes. Acid Orange 10 adsorption on novel mesoporous activated Carbon obtained from cotton boll pod(rind) – an agricultural wast