Methylene Blue Adsorbtion Study Using Zeolite-PBO Composite

The increasing pollution of industrial wastewater, particularly from the textile sector, poses a serious environmental challenge due to the presence of synthetic dyes such as methylene blue, which are toxic and non-biodegradable. This study aims to synthesize and characterize a Zeolite-PbO composite as an effective adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue from aqueous solutions. The composite was synthesized via an impregnation method using ethanol as a solvent, followed by acid activation and calcination at 400°C. SEM analysis revealed that PbO particles were successfully dispersed on the surface and within the pores of the zeolite, forming a denser and more coated structure. Adsorption kinetics were evaluated under varying interaction times, with the pseudo-second order model yielding the best fit (R2 = 0.9952) , indicating a chemisorption mechanism. Furthermore, adsorption isotherm studies showed that the Langmuir model provided the best correlation (R2 = 0.9982) , suggesting monolayer adsorption on a homogeneous surface, with a maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) of 1.186 mg g-1. These results demonstrate that the Zeolite-PbO composite exhibits high potential as an efficient and sustainable adsorbent for treating wastewater containing synthetic dyes such as methylene blue.