Use of Incinerated Rice Husk for Adsorption of Reactive Dye from Aqueous Solution

Abstract

Rice husk was incinerated in a muffle furnace at 300ºC for 4 h and the incinerated rice husk was characterised in terms of surface area, micropore area, micropore volume, average pore diameter and surface morphology. Adsorption of a textile dye, Reactive Yellow 15, by the incinerated rice husk was examined. Batch adsorption tests showed that the extent of dye adsorption depended on initial concentration, contact time and pH. Equilibrium adsorption was achieved in 240 min, while maximum dye adsorption occurred at pH 2. Equilibrium adsorption data were fitted to the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms and the data fitted well to the Freundlich isotherm model. Adsorption of Reactive Yellow 15 by incinerated rice husk followed pseudo-second-order kinetics. Being a low-cost adsorbent, incinerated rice husk can be applied for the adsorption of reactive dyes from aqueous solution and wastewater in developing countries.

Keywords: Adsorption, rice husk, Reactive Yellow 15, Freundlich Isotherm, Langmuir Isotherm