Oak tree leaves activated carbon with magnetite nanoparticles for the removal of Pb(II) ions from aqueous solutions

This study aimed to produce a new adsorbent from the thick leaves that fall off Oak trees in the autumn season, which were activated by heating at several temperatures (700-900°C) after being treated with a KOH compound to obtain activated carbon (AC). It was subsequently composited with iron oxide magnetite nanoparticles (AC/Fe3O4) using the co-precipitation technique to remove Pb (II) ions from aqueous solutions in batch mode. Utilizing XRD, BET, FTIR, SEM/EDS, TEM, VSM, and TGA, the adsorbent was characterized. Variables such as contact time, PH, adsorbate concentration, temperature, and adsorbent dose were used to conduct adsorption studies of divalent lead from an aqueous solution. The optimal adsorption efficiency was found at a contact time of 60 minutes, a pH of 8, a dose of 0.4 g/L adsorbent, an initial metal ion concentration of 100mg/L, and a temperature of 25°C. The adsorption kinetic of Pb(II) onto adsorbent (AC/Fe3O4 at 800°C) was discussed using different models, the pseudo-second-order model provided the best correlation of the experimental data. Langmuir, Freundlich, and Tempkin adsorption isotherms were employed in order to evaluate the optimum adsorption capacity of the adsorbent, the Freundlich model gave a better fit than Langmuir and Tempkin models. The results demonstrated that (AC/Fe3O4 at 800°C) can be utilized efficiently to remove Pb(II) from polluted water.