A Study on adsorption of Phenol red dye and Chromium (VI) metal ion using activated carbon derived from Lantana camara with the activation of potassium hydroxide.

Abstract

Commercial activated carbons are expensive to produce and regenerate, it is essential to produce activated
carbon using low-cost raw materials and methods. This study's goal is to demonstrate the possible adsorption
properties of activated carbon made from Lantana camara for the removal of dyes and metal ions from
aqueous solutions. In this study, activated carbon from Lantana camara stems was obtained through a one-
step chemical activation procedure using potassium hydroxide KOH. The surface properties such as surface
area, pore volume and pore size distribution were obtained by BET surface analysis and the Porous structure
were visualize by SEM analysis. The FTIR spectrum of the derived activated carbon is also depicted. Effect of
concentration (50, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 mg/L) and contact time of dye and metals were observed on
varied adsorbent dose of 0.1 to 0.5 g/50 ml for phenol red dye and from 0.2 to 0.8 g/50 ml for chromium metal.
The sample's surface area varied by 1296.23 m2/g, 1132.12 m2/g, and 2222.76 m2/g, with the DR micropore
having the highest pore volume (0.879 cc/g), respectively. The KOH-activated Lantana adsorbent particles
produced a specific wave in the range of 700 to 4000cm-1 in the FTIR. As the initial quantity of colour and
metal rises, the % adsorption falls. The ideal doses for the retention of phenol red and Cr (VI) were reported
as 0.3 g/50 ml and 0.5 g/50 ml, respectively. The mesoporous classification of the activated carbons that were
chemically activated with KOH and shown high results for surface area and pore size supports their potential
for use in the removal of metal and dye contaminants.