Adsorption of Cu(II) from aqueous solution using activated carbon derived from mangosteen peel

Abstract

Effects of the mixing method of K2CO3 with the source biomass and thermal history on the properties of the mangosteen peel activated carbons (MSACs) were investigated. The one-step impregnation activation process was found to be remarkably effective in increasing the mesoporosity of the activated carbon (L-MSAC) as well as BET surface area (SBET) and total pore volume, compared to the solid-solid dry mixing method in a two-stage process. The better fit of Langmuir isotherm indicates a maximum adsorption capacity of Cu(II) to be 21.74 mg•g−1 for L-MSAC, which makes it a promising adsorbent for the removal of copper ion from aqueous solutions.

Keywords

• Mangosteen peel
• Activated carbon
• Pore structure
• Adsorption