Removal of Reactive Dye from Artificial Textile Effluent by Corncob: An Agro Solid Waste

Activated carbon prepared from agro waste corn cob has been chemically treated with phosphoric acid at three different impregnation ratio by weight 0.5:1, 1.5:1 and 2.5:1. The prepared activated carbon has been utilized as the adsorbent for the removal of reactive dye, Remazol red 3BS dye from aqueous solution. Adsorption studies were carried out at four different initial dye concentration, contact time and adsorbent dosage. Equilibrium condition was attained within less than 2 hours and highest removal efficiency, 47%, was recorded for highest impregnation ratio activated carbon for initial dye concentration of 10 ppm. Higher adsorption efficiency can be achieved when the adsorbent dosage is gradually increased. The equilibrium adsorption studies shows that activated carbon impregnated at 2.5:1 impregnation ratio was very effective in adsorbing reactive dye from artificial textile effluent.