Preparation and Characterization of an Activated Carbon Based on Coconut Shell for the Elimination of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid in Aqueous Medium
Dibi Kouadio *
Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Environnement, Université Nangui Abrogoua 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire.
Meite Ladji
Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Environnement, Université Nangui Abrogoua 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire.
Diarra Moussa
Laboratoire des Sciences et Technologie de l’Environnement, Université Jean Lorougnon GUEDE BP 150 Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire.
Aboua Kouassi Narcisse
Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Environnement, Université Nangui Abrogoua 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire.
N’guettia Kossonou Roland
Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Environnement, Université Nangui Abrogoua 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire.
Soro Donafologo Baba
Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Environnement, Université Nangui Abrogoua 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire.
Mamadou Koné
Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Environnement, Université Nangui Abrogoua 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The objective of this work is to evaluate the capacity of activated carbon prepared from coconut shells to eliminate 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid from aqueous solution. The characterization tests revealed that the specific surface area determined by the BET method is 570 m²/g consisting essentially of micropores. The chemical characteristics determined by the Boehm method indicate the acidic character of the carbon. The 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid adsorption tests revealed that the adsorption rate of 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid increases with increasing contact time, but decreases with increasing initial concentration. To do this with a mass of 0.5 g, for a concentration of 5 mg/l for a 100 min agitation time, the rate of elimination of the 2.4-D reaches 77 %. The adsorption capacity studied showed that the adsorption process of 2,4-D on activated carbon is controlled by pseudo-second order kinetics.
Keywords: 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, coconut shells, activated carbon, adsorption kinetics, phosphoric acid