Optimizing The Adsorption of Methylene Blue Dye onto Raw and Modified Ekowe Clay using RSM
Daniel C. Emeniru1, Okechukwu D. Onukwuli2, Pere-ere Douye Wodu3, Livinus A. Obasi4
1D. C. Emeniru, Lecturer, Department of Petroleum Engineering and Geosciences Technology, Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, Bayelsa state, Nigeria.
2Dr. O. D. Onukwuli, Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria.
3P. D. Wodu, Lecturer, Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, Bayelsa state, Nigeria.
4L. A. Obasi, Lecturer, Department of Petroleum Engineering and Geosciences Technology, Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, Bayelsa state, Nigeria.
Manuscript received on June 05, 2015. | Revised Manuscript received on June 11, 2015. | Manuscript published on June 15, 2015. | PP: 12-23 | Volume-3 Issue-7, June 2015. | Retrieval Number: J07130921014/2014©BEIESP
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©The Authors. Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Abstract: This study explicates the optimum condition for effective and efficient uptake of cationic dye onto raw and modified (acid activated and calcined) Ekowe clay. The clay modification spanned 750oC calcination of RS to produced RCS and 0.5MH2SO4 activation of RS then 750oC calcination to produce ACS. The pH, acidity, CEC, PZC, surface area and filtration rate opened the adsorptive characteristics of the clay samples. Factors’ combinations of the RSM-CCRD (Central composite rotatable design of Response Surface Methodology) were applied in the batch adsorption experiments for statistical evaluation and Optimization of the Methylene Blue (MB) uptake. Calcination incurred structural and morphological change enhancing porosity and total surface area of the clay. The RSM showed; the correlation of MB uptake and studied variables fitted quadratic model, showing uptake variation with time, pH, dye concentration, clay amount and temperature. The analysis of variance exposed that all main factors influenced MB uptake. The effective and material economic optimum result: 66.92%, 62.79% and 53.53% MB uptake for ACS, RCS and RS respectively at conditions of 47min, solution pH-3, 20mg/L dye concentration, 0.35gclay and 25oC showed that calcination of raw and activated Ekowe clay enhances its optimum adsorptive capacity for MB dye uptake.
Keywords: Activation, Calcination, Adsorption factors, RSM, Quadratic model, Statistical Analisis, ANOVA, Optimization.