Equilibrium, Kinetic and Thermodynamic Studies of Analgesic Removal by Thin Coated Activated Carbon

Acetaminophen (analgesic) also known as paracetamol, usually used to reduce moderate pain such as headaches, menstrual periods, cold/flu aches and fever. This is one of the pharmaceutical products generally consume and dispose to the environment and become pharmaceutical pollution. This research, study a new approach applying adsorption concept. Thin coated activated carbon (TCAC) for adsorption of acetaminophen was investigated. The TCAC is formulated using Epoxidised Neutral Rubber (ENR-50) and poly(vinyl) chloride (PVC) as binders with activated carbon as an adsorbent, then was coated on white cotton fabric via brushing technique. Characterisation analysis using Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) and Brunauer– Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis were performed. The pore volume and surface area of the TCAC are 0.07 cm3 g−1 and 64.3 m2 g−1, respectively. The TCAC was evaluated through varies parameters including different initial concentrations and temperatures. The amount of acetaminophen as adsorbate, 50 mg L−1, able to be adsorbed up to 32.43 mg g−1 into TCAC within 5 h. The result of equilibrium and kinetic studies indicated that Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order, respectively, are best fitted the adsorption of acetaminophen onto TCAC. It was decisive that the adsorption process of acetaminophen on TCAC is spontenoous (ΔG° 0) and exothermic (ΔH° 0) through thermodynamic studies.