Equilibrium, Kinetic, and Thermodynamic Studies of Cationic Dyes Adsorption on Corn Stalks Modified by Citric Acid
The modification of agricultural wastes and their use as low-cost and efficient adsorbents is a prospective pathway that helps diminish waste and decrease environmental problems. In the present research, the natural adsorption capacity of corn stalks (CS) was improved by modification of their surface with citric acid. The adsorption capacity of the modified corn stalks (CS-C) was determined with the help of cationic dyes (methylene blue and malachite green). The equilibrium, kinetics, and thermodynamics of the cationic dyes on CS-C were studied. The Langmuir isotherm model best fitted the data both for methylene blue and malachite green adsorption on CS-C. The adsorption kinetics of the cationic dyes was well described by the pseudo-second order model. Thermodynamic studies revealed that adsorption of the cationic dyes on CS-C was an endothermic process. Negative results of ΔGo (between −31.8 and −26.3 kJ mol−1) indicated that the adsorption process was spontaneous in all the tested temperatures. The present study verified that citric acid-modified corn stalks can be used as a low-cost and effective adsorbent for removal of cationic dyes from aqueous solutions.