DOI: https://doi.org/10.55373/mjchem.v26i3.264

Keywords: Sugarcane bagasse; biochar; adsorption; methylene blue; wastewater

Abstract

This study explored the utilization of sugarcane bagasse as an adsorbent in water filter prototype to remove methylene blue from coating industry wastewater. Sugarcane was selected due to its abundance as an agricultural waste material. This research was motivated by the lack of optimization studies on water filter adsorption efficiency for methylene blue removal from the coating industry wastewater as well as the harmful impact of methylene blue on human health. The pyrolysis process was employed to produce sugarcane bagasse biochar. The chemical and morphological characterization of sugarcane bagasse biochar was conducted using particle size analyzer, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and field emission scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray analysis (FESEM-EDX). The FESEM-EDX analysis unveiled the porous structure of biochar, which facilitated the adsorption process. Optimization using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) led to a reduction in methylene blue absorbance from 3.91 to 0.22 under optimum conditions. These findings offer valuable insight into the potential of sugarcane bagasse biochar as a proficient adsorbent for methylene blue in treating wastewater from the coating industry.