Adsorption of Congo Red Dye From Aqueous Solution Using Mesembryanthemum Crystallinum-Based Bioadsorbent

Adsorption technique is a simple and inexpensive separation process compared to other separation methods, which have significant contributions in water treatment and pollutant removal. Batch adsorption processes are good for studies on a small scale, whereas continuous adsorption processes are preferred for processing a large scale, especially in industrial applications. In this context, a fixed bed adsorption column was fabricated and the leaves of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum biomass (MC-BM) was used as bioadsorbent for water wastewater treatment applications. Congo red dye (CRD) was used as a pollutant model in the wastewater. The effects of different operating conditions were verified on the CRD adsorption efficiency, which includes the bed depth, the initial concentration of the dye, pH, flow rate, and operating temperature. The results showed that the derived bioadsorbent material showed a high potential for adsorption of CRD from aqueous solution. The maximum adsorption efficiency of 85.83 % was achieved. The results also indicated that the increase in the bed depth and the operating temperature enhance the adsorption efficiency. However, the increase in the flow rate and initial concentration of the CRD decrease the CRD adsorption efficiency. The investigations showed that the adsorption of CRD onto MC-BM was endothermic process.