Alumina-carbon composite as an effective adsorbent for removal of Methylene Blue and Alizarin Red-s from aqueous solution

Abstract

An alumina-carbon composite has been prepared by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">in situ</i> precipitation of aluminium hydroxide on the surface of commercial activated carbon followed by calcinations. The adsorption characteristics of the as-synthesized material are studied using Methylene Blue and Alizarin Red-s. The adsorption equilibrium for Methylene Blue and Alizarin Red-s are well represented by the Redlich-Peterson and Tempkin isotherms respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity for Methylene Blue is found to be 1152.30 mg/g at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">p</i>H 8 and that for Alizarin Red-s is 522.81 mg/g at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">p</i>H 5. The adsorption kinetics for both the dyes has been explained by the pseudo-second-order model.