Fixed bed column filtration using pineapple waste activated carbon for dye removal

Abstract

Dyes are used widely in various industries for colouring purposes. Dye wastes are one of the most concerning pollution in Malaysia. They can be identified easily by human eyes and not easily degradable which bring detrimental effects to the environment and human. However, several alternatives can treat the disposal of dye. In this study, activated carbon from pineapple waste such as its crown, core and peel was prepared by chemical acid activation using phosphoric acid (H3PO4) to remove pure Methylene Blue (MB) dye and Malachite Green (MG) dye. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of particle size (125 μm and 335 μm) and adsorbent dosage (5 g and 15 g) by using a fixed bed column experiment. The results obtained from this study showed that the highest adsorption for MB dye was 15 g dosage of pineapple peel activated carbon for both sizes (125 μm - 99.96%, 335 μm - 99.97%) while for MG dye were also 15 g dosage for both size (125 μm - 99.96%, 335 μm - 99.97%). Therefore, this study showed that activated carbon derived from the pineapple waste can adsorb dyes in an aqueous solution; by using a fixed bed column approach.