Methylene blue dye efficient removal using activated carbon developed from waste cigarette butts: Adsorption, thermodynamic and kinetics

This study aimed to obtain activated carbon using waste cigarette butts, which is one of the most harmful and toxic environmental materials. In addition, cigarette butts were converted into activated carbon in the thermal carbonization stage using ZnCl2 (1:2 ratios by mass) as a chemical activator. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller test, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, Scanning electron microscope, and Elemental analysis were used to determine the activated carbon's surface morphology, elemental composition, functional group, and surface properties. As a result of the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller test, it was observed that the activated carbon obtained had a high surface area of 667.9 m2/g. In the study, it was determined that the Langmuir model can best describe the adsorption isotherm model. In addition, the maximum adsorption capacity of activated carbon for methylene blue dye was 285.7 mg g -1 at 25 degrees C. The results obtained in the study support that the pore structure of cigarette butts will be one of the strong alternatives in the production of activated carbon for the removal of methylene blue dye.