Abstract The application of palm seed activated carbon (PSDAC) to remove Direct Yellow 50 (DY-50) azo dye from an industrial wastewater using an eco-friendly treatment approach is presented in this study. Palm seeds (a major agro-waste of Saudi Arabia) were converted into activated carbon using a KOH activation method, and the adsorption capacities were improved. PSDAC was prepared and optimized very carefully, and its physical properties were determined by means of XRD, FTIR, SEM, and BET. The results revealed that the activation enhanced the surface area, porosity, and density of functional groups, which provided more active sites for the effective adsorption of DY-50. The investigation of the adsorption process was also conducted at different conditions (dye concentration, pH and dosage of PSDAC). The breakthrough curves obtained for the removal of the dye were used to investigate the kinetic behavior of the process, and the results showed that this second-order pseudo model of chemisorption controlled the removal process. Thermodynamic studies supported the spontaneous and exothermic character of the process at low temperature ranges. The maximum adsorption capacity of PSDAC was determined to be 251.88 mg/g according to the Langmuir isotherm model. This work reveals the promising application of palm seed biomass, a cheap and renewable material, for efficient water treatment, providing an environmentally friendly and low-cost treatment to dye-containing sewage.
Eman A. Alabbad (Thu,) studied this question.