Application of Magnetic Biochar@alginate Composite as Adsorbent for Effective Removal of Methylene Blue From Aqueous Media

Abstract

In recent years, magnetic biochar has been widely used for the removal of dyes in polluted water due to its magnetic separation abilities and has been used as composite adsorbents by incorporating different biomasses into its structure for the removal of such pollutants. In this study, a new composite magnetic biochar@alginate composite (mBC@Alg) was synthesized as an alternative adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. The primary focus of this intensive preparation procedure is on the synthesis, characterization, and optimization of the mBC@Alg for enhanced MB adsorption capacity. The composite material was characterized using FT-IR analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Batch adsorption studies experiments were performed to determine the removal efficiencies, pH, adsorbent dose, contact time and initial concentration of MB molecules. Various adsorption isotherms such as Freundlich, Langmuir, Scathard and Dubinin-Radushkevich were used to describe the adsorption behavior at equilibrium. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm was identified as the most appropriate model to explain the observed adsorption phenomena, and the adsorption capacity of mBC@Alg for MB was determined to be 416.67 mg/g using this isotherm. Kinetic studies were carried out using pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models and it was concluded that the experimental data fit well with the second-order kinetic model. The adsorbent properties of the mBC@Alg composite are particularly effective in removing MB molecules from aqueous solutions. © 2024 Published by ISRES.