Adsorption of basic dyes onto activated carbon using microcolumns

Column studies for the adsorption of basic dyes (methylene blue, basic red, and basic yellow) onto PAC2 (activated carbon produced from bituminous coal using steam activation) and F400 were undertaken in fixed-bed microcolumns. Experimental data were correlated using the bed depth service time (BDST) model. The effect of bisolute interactions on the performance of microcolumn fixed beds was studied. The BDST model was successful in describing the breakthrough curves for the adsorption of MB onto PAC2 and predicts the experimental data with a good degree of accuracy. The results emphasized that the interactions and competition for the available binding sites have considerable influence on the efficiency of adsorbents to remove dyes from the solution.