| Abstrakt: |
This study presents the development of high-performance activated carbon (AC) from sawdust, providing a sustainable and economical solution for wastewater treatment. The sawdust-based AC was thermally activated under optimized conditions to enhance its adsorptive properties. Characterization confirmed its suitability as an efficient adsorbent: X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed both amorphous and crystalline phases, beneficial for adsorption; Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) identified functional groups such as hydroxyl, methyl, alkene, nitrile, and amine, contributing to a surface chemistry favourable for pollutant interactions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed a highly porous, irregular surface morphology, corroborated by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, which measured a surface area of 413.94 m2/g. Thermogravimetric analysis (TG–DTA) indicated thermal decomposition starting at 40–86 °C, stabilizing between 501 °C and 650 °C, demonstrating the AC's thermal stability. The AC’s adsorptive capacity was tested with Methyl Orange (MeO), a common dye pollutant. Adsorption kinetics aligned with Ho’s pseudo-second-order model (R2= 0.991), suggesting chemisorption as the primary mechanism. The Langmuir model provided a better fit for the isotherm data than the Freundlich model, indicating a monolayer adsorption pattern with effective adsorption sites having maximum adsorption capacity of about 1.78 mg/g on the AC surface. |
Full text from SpringerLink