Color removal from aqueous solutions of metal-containing dye using pine cone

Abstract

The ability of pine cone (PC) for dye removal from aqueous media was studied and Lanasol Yellow 2R (LY2R) was used as a model metal-containing dye. The effects of various parameters like pH, adsorbent dosage and size, dye concentration, temperature, contact time and ionic strength on the dye adsorption were investigated. The equilibrium data were well represented by the Langmuir isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacity of the PC for LY2R was found as 41.15 mg g⁻¹. The adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order model. The thermodynamic tests revealed that the adsorption was spontaneous and endothermic process. Accordingly, the PC could be employed as a promising alternative adsorbent for eliminating the dye from aqueous solutions.

Keywords:

• Metal-containing dye
• Adsorption
• Pine cone
• Color removal