Banana pseudo stem- and palm kernel shell-based biochars by microwave for methylene blue adsorption

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the adsorptive properties of biochars derived from banana pseudostem (BP) and palm kernel shell for methylene blue (MB) removal. The biochars were prepared using a microwave-assisted method, resulting in unique surface characteristics. The BP-based biochar (BP-C) exhibits a high surface area of 46.6 m²/g with MB capacity of 165 mg/g, surpassing that of palm kernel shell-based biochar (PK-C) with a capacity of 34.9 mg/g. Both biochars show a good fit to Langmuir model, implying a monolayer adsorption of MB on homogeneous surface. However, the kinetic analysis suggests that BP-C is driven by chemisorption while that of PK-C is physisorption. The thermodynamic analysis shows that the MB adsorption onto BP-C is spontaneous and favorable particularly at elevated temperatures and low MB concentrations. To conclude, this work highlights the promising BP-C as effective adsorbent for dye removal, offering insights into sustainable dye wastewater treatment application.

KEYWORDS:

• Adsorption
• banana pseudostem
• biochar
• methylene blue
• palm kernel shell

Acknowledgements

Financial support by Ministry of Higher Education through Fundamental Research Grant Scheme FRGS/1/2018/STG07/UTM/02/13 is gratefully acknowledged.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia [FRGS/1/2018/STG07/UTM/02/13].

Notes on contributors

Shi Hao Yeo

Shi Hao Yeo is a Research Associate at UTM CLEAR. His work revolves around biochar and activated carbon preparation from agricultural and domestic residues for dye removal, which granted him the MEng. in Chemical Engineering. Currently, he is pursuing a PhD at UTM Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

Muhammad Abbas Ahmad Zaini

Muhammad Abbas Ahmad Zaini is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Chemical & Energy Engineering, UTM Johor Bahru, and a Director/Research Fellow at UTM CLEAR. His research interest encompasses adsorbent/activated carbon synthesis from various resources for wastewater treatment. He is a chartered engineer (CEng) with the UK Engineering Council.

Mohd Azizi Che Yunus

Mohd Azizi Che Yunus is a Professor of Chemical Engineering and a Research Fellow at UTM CLEAR. His research interests are extraction and isolation of active compounds from plants using supercritical carbon dioxide and subcritical water as green solvents.