behavioral parameters of pinecone derived activated carbon column for dye adsorption from aqueous solutions

the used activated carbon was derived from pine-cone and was used for the removal of acid black 1(ab1) and acid blue 113(ab113) dyes. a batch sorption study was carried out in order to obtain optimum isotherm model. the study showed the best fit of the adsorption isotherm data was obtained using the langmuir model for both dyes. the monolayer maximum saturation capacities of ab1 and ab113 dyes based on langmuir model are 458 mg dye/g carbon and 286 mg dye/g carbon respectively. sorption of dyes was also studied in a continuous-flow state with a fixed-bed column of activated carbon. the column behavior parameters such as active zone length, active zone fractional capacity, total active zone capacity, active adsorption zone velocity, and active zone formation time, degree of saturation at the breakthrough point and time of passing through active zone were determined. the results showed the dyestuffs, due to their large molecular structures, resistance to internal diffusion is much which this results in dye molecules not having enough contact time to diffuse from the surface of the particle to the adsorption sites and therefore being pumped further up the column to fresh activated carbon. the active zone fractional capacity of ab113 and ab1 dyes was determined 0.271 and 0.369 respectively. therefore, it is very important to maximize the fractional capacity of the active adsorption zone for the sorption of dyestuffs by activated carbon.