Jute (Corchorus olitorius) stick charcoal as a low-cost adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue dye from aqueous solution

Removal of methylene blue (MB) dye from aqueous solution was studied using jute stick charcoal (JSC), prepared from jute (Corchorus olitorius) stick: an affordable and available agricultural by-product, as a low-cost adsorbent. All the experiments were carried out in batch mode. Controlling factors of the system, including contact time, solution pH, JSC dose and initial MB concentration, were investigated to study their effects on MB adsorption. JSC was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscope. Adsorption equilibrium data fitted well with Freundlich and Halsey adsorption isotherms that describe the multilayer adsorption on heterogeneous surface. The maximum adsorption capacity calculated by the Langmuir isotherm was 29.32 mg/g. The MB adsorption process was well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and the MB diffusion in JSC was the potential rate-controlling step. Finally, JSC is a promising adsorbent for the adsorption of MB from aqueous solution.