M. Nageeb Rashed, M. A. El-Daim El Taher and Somaya M. M. Fadlalla
الملخص الانجليزي
This study aims to explore the preparation and application of alum sludge (AS) and mud sludge (MS)
from a drinking water treatment plant to remove methylene blue (MB) dye from aqueous solution.
The sludge (MS and AS) was treated by chemical and physical activation to obtain new adsorbents.
The adsorption experiments were carried out under different conditions of initial dye concentration
(50–100 mg/L) adsorbent dosage (0.05–0.25 g), solution pH (3–9), temperature (20–60 WC) and contact
time (20–90 min). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction instruments were used
for characterization of the developed adsorbents. The results show that sludge activated by nitric
acid (0.25 M HNO3) and pyrolysis at 700 WC were the best chemically and physically activated
adsorbents. The optimum adsorption conditions for the adsorption of MB are 100 ppm initial dye
concentration, 1 hour contact time, 250 WC solution temperature, pH 7 and 0.25 g adsorbent dosage.
Application of the Langmuir and Freundlich Isotherm models showed that adsorbents fitted the
Langmuir model well. SEM studies indicated the porous structural aspects of sludge suitable for
removing MB dye.