The Use of Gigantochloa Bamboo-Derived Biochar for the Removal of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solution

Abstract

In this study, locally grown bamboo (Gigantochloa spp.) was used as feedstock for pyrolysis production of biochar under various pyrolysis temperatures (400–800°C). The resultant biochars were tested for their performance in adsorptive removal of the methylene blue (MB) dye. The scope of the adsorption experiment includes the effects of adsorbent dosage, solution pH, initial adsorbate concentration, and contact time. The adsorption data confirmed that pyrolysis temperature has a significant effect on adsorptive performance, whereas biochar pyrolysed at 500°C (BC500) has the highest adsorptive performance with the maximum adsorption capacity (derived from the Langmuir model) being 86.6 mg g-1. Basic characterisations (SEM, EDX, XRD, FTIR, and BET) were carried out for BC500 where FTIR and SEM confirmed the adsorption of MB onto the biochar, while the BET data showed the reduction of the BET surface area, total pore volume, and pore diameter after the adsorption process.