Characterization and Application of Chicken Feather Activated Carbon for the Removal of Rhodamine B from Aqueous Solution

Abstract

Chicken feather derived activated carbon (CFAC) was prepared via chemical activation using H₃PO₄ and evaluated for the removal of Rhodamine B (RhB) from aqueous solutions. The adsorbent was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. CFAC exhibited a specific surface area of 48.140 m²/g, a pore volume of 0.057 cm³/g, and an average pore diameter of 2.647 nm. Batch adsorption experiments demonstrated efficient RhB removal, achieving an adsorption capacity of 99.28 mg/g and a removal efficiency of 98.42 % under optimal conditions (pH 6, contact time of 180 min, and temperature of 30 °C). The solution pH was adjusted using 0.1 M HCl or 0.1 M NaOH, and the effect of pH was investigated over a range of 2–12. The influences of solution pH, adsorbent dosage, and contact time on adsorption performance were systematically examined. Kinetic studies revealed that the adsorption process followed pseudo-first-order and Elovich models, while equilibrium data were best described by the Langmuir and Temkin isotherm models. Physicochemical properties, including bulk density, moisture content, ash content, iodine value, and conductivity, were also determined. The results indicate that TCFs-Pa is an effective and environmentally sustainable adsorbent with significant potential for the treatment of dye-contaminated wastewater.