SYNTHESIS AND PRODUCTION OF ACTIVATED CARBON FROM SUGARCANE BAGASSE FOR THE ADSORPTIVE REMOVAL OF METHYLENE BLUE DYE FROM WASTEWATER
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/fjs-2026-1008-5230Keywords:
Sugarcane bagasse, Activated carbon, methylene blue, chemical activation, Wastewater TreatmentsAbstract
Water pollution caused by synthetic dyes remains a major global environmental challenge. Conventional treatment methods such as coagulation, chemical oxidation, membrane filtration, ion exchange, and biological treatment are often expensive and less effective at low pollutant concentrations. This study focused on the production and characterization of activated carbon derived from sugarcane bagasse (ScBAC) using sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) chemical activation for the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) dye from wastewater. Raw sugarcane bagasse was carbonized at 250°C and chemically activated with H₂SO₄ at a 1:3 (w/v) ratio for 24 hours, followed by washing and drying. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed three major stages of thermal degradation associated with cellulose and hemicellulose decomposition between 200–450°C. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that ScBAC possesses a predominantly amorphous structure with graphitic carbon characteristics. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis showed significant improvement in surface properties after activation, with surface area increasing from 112.836 to 254.612 m²/g and micropore volume from 0.096 to 0.225 cc/g. Adsorption studies using UV-visible spectrophotometry demonstrated that ScBAC achieved 99.28% removal of MB dye with a maximum adsorption capacity of 36.83 mg/g within 25 minutes using 0.2 g adsorbent in 100 mL of 74.2 mg/L MB solution. The results indicate that sugarcane bagasse can be converted into an efficient, low-cost, and environmentally friendly adsorbent for industrial wastewater treatment. Further studies using real wastewater systems are recommended
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Copyright (c) 2026 Mohammed Isah Kimpa, Salahudeen Gene Adamu, Stanley Chukwuebuka Ugochukwu, Daniel Thomas Ojonugwa, Isah Haruna, Fati Abdullahi, Labake Ajoke Fadipe, Uno Essang Uno
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