Abstract
Leather industry consumes large amounts of chemicals for the processes of tanning and finishing of animal and skin hides. Therefore, tanneries generate great amounts of a polluted waste stream. In particular, they pump huge amounts of wastewater that is contaminated with toxic chemicals. Azo-dyes are among the most dangerous contaminants in this regard. This work has been devoted to producing an economic and low-cost nonconventional adsorbent, as alternative to high-priced adsorbents that have a high production cost, from agricultural by-products which are easily accessible from the local environment. Activated carbon has been produced from leafs of the palm date trees by-product to be used as an effective azo dye adsorbent to remove the dye from the tanneries waste stream. The biomass (palm tree leafs) has been carbonized at 450 degrees C for 60 minutes, the carbonized product has been treated with orthophosphoric acid (2:1, H3PO4/carbonized material, v/w); followed by activation at 650 degrees C, and neutralization to pH 6-7. The surface studies of the prepared sample have been achieved by scanning electron microscope SEM. Surface morphology shows development of pores structure, and formation of regular size grooves that are deeply formed on the surface. Therefore, the activated carbon is expected to have great adsorption capacity to the organic dyes and other soluble impurities. The adsorption capacity of the prepared activated carbon for the azo day has been studied. The prepared activated sample shows a considerable adsorption uptake of the contaminated dyes. Therefore, the study successes to produce nonconventional and effective azo dye adsorbent from by-product waste which is available in abundance. The prepared activated carbon can be used to remove the azo dye from the industrial waste stream with acceptable removal efficiency.