Adsorption of Malachite Green by Diatomite: Equilibrium Isotherms and Kinetic Studies

Abstract

The utilization of diatomite as potential adsorbent to remove malachite green (MG) from aqueous solution was developed. The characterization of the diatomite was evaluated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Brurauer Emmerr Teller (BET). The operating variables of pH, diatomite mass, initial MG concentration, and adsorption reaction time were studied. The equilibrium, kinetics, and thermodynamic parameters were investigated as well. It was found that the diatomite was composed of integral and almost circle sieve tray with lots of small pores on it, which afforded the diatomite high specific surface area of 46.09 m2 g−1. The optimum pH and reaction time were 7 and 90 minutes, respectively. The MG removal increased accordingly as the diatomite mass increased. The isotherm results showed that the equilibrium data were fitted to Langmuir model better, indicating the MG adsorption was better characterized by mono-layer. The maximum mono-layer capacity obtained from Langmuir was 23.64 mg g−1 at 25°C. The kinetic studies indicated that experiment data followed pseudo-second-order model better. It also revealed that intraparticle diffusion was not the only rate-controlling step. The thermodynamic results concluded that the adsorption process was endothermic and more favorable at high temperature. Researches confirmed the applicability of diatomite as an efficient adsorbent and low-cost process to remove hazardous materials.