Methylene blue uptake by iranian Ca- activated bentonite: effect of acidification kinetics on adsorption

The uptake of methylene blue from wastewater by treated bentonites has been studied to evaluate the effects of acidification factors on removal efficiency. Different acids were blended by natural Ca-bentonite after drying in a laboratory oven. The designed setup provided the controllable conditions for producing nano-porous powders in which the residence time and temperature were changed. Based on the statistical theory and experimental data, the suitable agent was determined for manufacturing porous material to remove methylene blue from wastewater. Also, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques were applied to identify the structural changes. The experimental data obtained from batch tests have been analyzed by a new kinetic model which predicted the data variation with higher regression coefficients and lower relative errors. The suggested procedure can be important tool in optimization of acidification condition for manufacturing a powder with maximal removal efficiency.