REMOVAL OF INDIGO CARMINE DYE (IC) BY BATCH ADSORPTION METHOD ONTO DRIED COLA NUT SHELLS AND ITS ACTIVE CARBON FROM AQUEOUS MEDIUM

Natural cola nut shells and its active carbons were used to remove indigo carmine dye from aqueous solution using batch adsorption test. The effect of pH, contact time (t), adsorbent dose (m) and initial concentrations (Co) were investigated. The equilibrium adsorption data were analyzed by Langmuir, Freundlich, Tempkin and DubinKaganer-Raduskushkevich classical isotherm models. This equilibrium data best fits with all the four isotherm models for cola nut shells. Langmuir and Freundlich equations correlated well with data obtained using activated carbon based H3PO4 while Freundlich and Tempkin best agreed with activated carbon based KOH. The kinetics of indigo carmine dye was discussed by pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, Elovich and Intra-particle diffusion models. The pseudo-second order kinetic model equation fitted best to the data from all the three adsorbents. Elovich fitted best with data obtained using activated carbon based H3PO4 while intra-particle diffusion model for activated carbon based KOH. D-K-R shows that adsorption process was chemisorption for all the three adsorbents. Natural cola nut shells and activated carbon based KOH show higher adsorption capacities with indigo carmine compared to activated carbon based H3PO4. The results indicated that these shells and it active carbon can be used as an effective and low-cost adsorbent to remove indigo carmine from aqueous solutions.