Optimization of Malachite green removal using activated carbon derived from coconut shell

Abstract

The textile industry is a sub-industry that contributes to our country's economy, and as a result, it is expanding on a daily basis. The processes that are involved in the textile industry are fibre production, spinning, twisting, weaving, knitting, scorching and dyeing, which involve colours or dyes. The combination of processes and products causes waste from the textile industry to contain a wide range of pollutants.The presence of even trace amounts of dye in water (less than 1 ppm) is highly visible and will affect water transparency and gas carbon dioxide, oxygen) solubility in water bodies where waste is discharged. Dyes are usually resistant to conventional biodegradation. Therefore, adsorption is an effective alternative for dye removal treatment. Therefore, a study has been conducted to find a low-cost raw material for an alternative method of treating textile wastewater. In this study, the capability of activated carbon derived from coconut shells to remove malachite green dye was investigated. Three parameters were studied, such as activated carbon with different chemical impregnation and carbonization time, contact time and initial concentrations of dye. From the results acquired, 99.9% of malachite green dye was removed by the activated carbon impregnated with phosphoric acid solution of 5 minutes carbonization time. The optimum contact time and initial concentration of dye were 1 hour and 10 mg/L, respectively. Therefore, this result can contribute to some knowledge of using low-cost raw material impregnation with some chemicals to remediate textile wastewater.