Abstract
In this study, activated carbon (AC) was prepared from waste cotton generated from the Tunisian spinning industry. AC was prepared using a carbonization at 700°C followed by a chemical activation (with H3PO4 and ZnCL2). Thermogravimetric analysis was used to analyze the carbonization step. There was a considerable decrease in weight loss in the region of 280°C to 380°C attributed mainly to the cellulose degradation. In a second step, the activated carbons were characterized different analytical techniques. In particular, the effect of carbonization and chemical activation on the cross-section and surface was detected with SEM. In addition, FTIR analysis showed the disappearance of many surface groups in range between 2000 cm -1 and 4000 cm -1 after activation while TPD-MS showed that with the acidic character of the activated carbon with H 3 PO 4 comparing to ZnCL 2 . ZnCL 2 activated carbon was used for the removal of textile dye, namely Alizarin S from aqueous solution for different experimental conditions. The maximum adsorption capacity of Alizarin S was Q max = 181mg/g obtained at pH =3 and T=25°C.