Adsorption of pollutants from aqueous solutions using activated and non-activated oak shells: Parametric and fractional factorial design study. Part II. Removal of phenol and dyes

As in Part I, non-activated (natural) and chemically activated oak shells were evaluated for their ability to remove phenol and Methylene Blue (as a typical dye component) from aqueous solutions. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of contact time, sorbent concentration, phenol concentration and the pH of the solution on the sorption process. Activated oak shells adsorbed more phenol than natural oak shells under the same conditions. A decrease in sorbent concentration or an increase in phenol concentration or solution pH resulted in an increase in phenol uptake by the oak shells. The uptake of Methylene Blue increased with decreasing sorbent concentration and with an increase in the dye concentration, but decreased significantly with solution pH. According to the fractional factorial design technique, the sorbent type employed (natural or activated) had the most significant influence on phenol or Methylene Blue uptake followed by sorbent concentration and then sorbate concentration. Interaction amongst the different operating variables played an important role in the uptake of phenol or Methylene Blue dye by the adsorbent considered.