Adsorption of Pb(II) by activated carbon prepared from Melia azedarach fruit: Equilibrium and thermodynamics

In this work, a low-cost activated carbon as well as non-hazardous material, with high adsorption capacity, was prepared from Melia azedarach fruit (MF) by ZnCl2 activation for the removal of Pb(II) toxic metal from aqueous solutions. The microstructure of the activated carbon was observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Batch experiments have been performed as a function of pH, contact time, dose of sorbent, initial Pb(II) concentration, temperature and strength ionic. It was found that the adsorption process was very quick and the equilibrium attained within 10 min. The maximum adsorption capacity for Pb(II) using Langmuir isotherm was 111.11 mg g-1. Thermodynamic study indicated that the Pb(II) adsorption was feasible, spontaneous, and endothermic. The results show that the produced activated carbon from Melia azedarach fruit is an efficient and cost-effective adsorbent for removing Pb(II).