Kinetics, isotherms and thermodynamic evaluation of amine functionalized magnetic carbon for methyl red removal from aqueous solutions

Global fresh water demand increases as population increases. Thus, the demand for cost-effective materials and efficient technologies for water treatment is on the rise. Here, we modified rubber-derived carbon by iron oxide and then the obtained material was subjected to surface modification using typical branched polyethylenimine (BPEI) to produce a magnetic composite of AC-Fe_xO_y-BPEI. The composite was characterized. The efficiency of the polymer anchored material was examined for methyl red (MR) removal from aqueous media in the batch and column systems. The results indicated a high percentage of removal (≈ 100%) and eequilibrium was observed in 10 mins. The process followed models of the Langmuir isotherm and Pseudo-second order, with a capacity of 526 mg/g. The negative standard enthalpy change (∆ H^o) suggests that the adsorption of MR on the material is exothermic. The breakthrough was observed after 150 mins using a 1 mM concentration of methyl red flow through a designed short column. The AC-Fe_xO_y-BPEI demonstrated remarkable efficiency in removing MR from aqueous solutions. The high adsorption capacity does indeed make the amine-modified material as an effective sorbent. The material leverages its cost-effective source, in addition to the ease of preparation along with its fast uptake capacities, it offers great promise for wastewater remediation.