Removal of Methyl Orange from Aqueous Solution Using Activated Papaya Leaf

Abstract

The present investigation describes the potential of acid activated papaya leaf for the adsorption of methyl orange (MO) dye from aqueous solution. The FT-IR analysis indicated the presence of a wide variety of functional groups on the surface of the activated papaya leaf. Scanning electron microscopy and Electron dispersion X-ray techniques indicated the morphological behavior of adsorption onto the adsorbent, and weight percentage of chemical compositions available on the surface of adsorbent. The parameters, such as pH, contact time, and agitation rate giving the highest adsorption efficiency were obtained at 2, 120 min, and 150 rpm, respectively. The Langmuir model was found to represent the isotherm data better than other isotherms studied. Batch adsorption studies, based on the assumption of a pseudo first-order, Elovich Equation, and the pseudo second-order showed that the kinetic data followed closely a pseudo second-order mechanism. The adsorption capacity of activated papaya leaf for the removal of MO dye was found to be 333.34 mg/g. These showed that papaya leaf could be considered as a good and economical substitute of commercial activated carbon.

Keywords:

• activated papaya leaf
• adsorption
• Freundlich
• Kinetic model
• Langmuir
• methyl orange