Effective adsorptive removal of textile pollutant using coal bottom ash with high surface area obtained by alkaline fusion route

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this work, coal bottom ash was modified by alkaline fusion route in order to improve its pore properties and make it a potential adsorbent to remove crystal violet dye from aqueous medium. The solids were characterized and posteriorly subjected to kinetic, isotherm, and thermodynamic studies, as well as regenerated and reused for five adsorption tests. The alkaline fusion step resulted in the amorphization of material and generation of high surface area (102 m 2 g −1) and pore volume (0.180 cm 3 g−1), resulting in superior performance compared to the raw material. Kinetic and equilibrium studies showed that the adsorption process was better adjusted by the pseudo-second order and Langmuir models, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity at equilibrium was 177. 37 mg g−1, with the adsorptive step occurring spontaneously and endothermically. The adsorbent maintained notable levels of dye removal after five consecutive cycles of thermal regeneration and reuse. Besides, the adsorbent was able to remove 64% of the colour of simulated industrial wastewater. Therefore, the alkaline fusion step proved to be a route capable of transforming the coal bottom ash into an adsorbent with improved textural and adsorptive properties.