ENHANCED ADSORPTION OF METHYLENE BLUE USING CARBON-COATED MODIFIED VERMICULITE

Abstract

This study fabricated and evaluated carbon-coated modified vermiculite (CCMV) in methylene blue (MB) adsorption. The modification process involved thermal and chemical treatments to enhance surface area, porosity, and functional groups, thereby improving adsorption capacity. Batch experiments were conducted to assess the effects of initial dye concentration, contact time, pH, and temperature on MB removal efficiency. The results indicated that adsorption followed the Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetics, characterized by monolayer adsorption and a chemisorption mechanism. Thermodynamic analysis confirmed that MB adsorption on CCMV was an endothermic process. With significantly higher adsorption performance compared to raw vermiculite, CCMV demonstrates strong potential for wastewater treatment applications involving dye pollutants. This study provides valuable insights into the development of modified clay-based materials for environmental treatments.