ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Removal of reactive blue 19 from simulated wastewater using Solanum melongena stalk/MWCNTs: thermodynamics, kinetic, equilibrium and regeneration potentials

James Friday Amaku and Raymond Taziwa

Department of Applied Science, Faculty of Science Engineering and Technology, Walter Sisulu University, East London, South Africa

E-mail: famaku@wsu.ac.za

Received: 1 July 2023  Accepted: 16 October 2023

Abstract:

In the present study, a nanocomposite was prepared for the removal of dye from the aqueous phase. In this regard, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were anchored on the stalk of Solanum melongena (SMB) to obtain a robust adsorbent with the capacity to eliminate reactive blue 19 (RB19) using the batch adsorptive processes. Solanum melongena stalk decorated with MWCNTs (SMC) and SMB were characterized using Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. With the exception of solution pH, an increase in contact time, adsorbent dose, initial RB19 concentration, and solution temperature were noticed to elevate the uptake potential of SMB and SMC. Kinetic experimental data for SMB and SMC were consistent with the pseudo-second-order and Elovich model, respectively. The experimental isotherm data obtained for SMB and SMC were best expressed by Freundlich and Langmuir models, respectively. After the fifth adsorption–desorption cycle, SMC exhibited 52% of adsorption efficiency. Hence, SMC can be an auspicious candidate for the efficient adsorption of RB19.

Keywords: Adsorption; Reactive blue 19; Nanocomposite; Water treatment; Solanum melongena

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-023-03163-x

Chemical Papers 78 (2) 1251–1263 (2024)