Activated carbon from tapioca leaves for treating dye waste water

Acid activated tapioca leaves (TL) are employed as an interesting alternative as a low cost adsorbent because of its abundant, renewable and biodegradable raw resource and properties such as its chemical stability, oil absorption, surface area, iodine value and high reactivity, resulting from the presence of chemically reactive hydroxyl groups in TL. TL are roasted at high% with low cost chemical as catalyst to reduce time, with temperature control to get 24% yield, certain low cost chemicals at different concentrations are added with different impregnation time, activation temperature at 600°C for 60 min, contact time, pH, absorbent dose & particle size for obtaining activated carbon from TL for treating dye waste water containing Rhodamine-B (RB). Removal efficiency was 77% in 45 min with 6.0 pH, 25 g/L as dose, 250 mg/L RB concentration and 30°C temperature. The results indicate that TL are good adsorbent for the removal of RB from wastewater.