Utilization of agro-industrial waste Jatropha curcas pods as an activated carbon for the adsorption of reactive dye Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR)

Jatropha curcas is a non-edible oil crop predominately used to produce biodiesel. J. curcas pod contains 80% as dried vegetable and remaining 20% are seeds that are used for the biodiesel production in industries. In the present study, J. curcas pods were used for activated carbon preparation and successfully employed as adsorbent for the removal of reactive dye, Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR). Batch adsorption experiments were performed as a function of contact time, pH, adsorbent dosage and initial dye concentration. The experimental results indicate that 0.2 g of activated carbon removed 95% of 50 mg L−1 dye. Adsorption data were modeled using the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Langmuir isotherm was obeyed for the adsorption. Equilibrium parameter value (RL) was observed to be in the range of 0–1. The dye adsorption followed the pseudo-first-order kinetics model with regard to the intraparticle diffusion rate. Physico-chemical properties of activated carbon were analyzed by SEM, FTIR and XRD before and after dye adsorption. The adsorbed dye from activated carbon was successfully desorbed (80%) by 1 N NaOH. Bench scale removal of RBBR dye as well as real textile effluent was carried out by J. curcas pods activated carbon (JCPAC). This option will make the agro-industrial waste JCPAC adopted in textile industrial effluent treatment for environmental cleansing.