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ICOOPChE 2017 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 345 (2018) 012008 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/345/1/012008
1234567890‘’“”

Removal of Methylene Blue from aqueous solution using spent

bleaching earth
E Saputra, R Saputra, M W Nugraha, R S Irianty and P S Utama
Chemical Engineering Department, Engineering Faculty, Riau University, Pekanbaru,
Riau, Indonesia

E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract. The waste from industrial textile waste is one of the environmental problems, it is
required effective and efficient processing. In this study spent bleaching earth was used as
absorbent. It was found that the absorbent was effective to remove methylene blue from aqueous
solution with removal efficiency 99.97 % in 120 min. Several parameters such as pH, amount of
absorbent loading, stirring speed are found as key factor influencing removal of methylene blue.
The mechanism of adsorption was also studied, and it was found that Langmuir isotherm fitted
to data of experiment with adsorption capacity 0.5 mg/g.

1. Introduction
Industrial wastes are increasing with the rapid development of industry, i.e. volume and type. One of
the most disturbing problems of industrial waste is thedye content [1]. The textile industry is one of the
industries that produces colored liquid waste, the dye in the textile industry is one of the main raw
materials, about 10-15% of the dye has been used, unfortunatelly it cannot be reused and must be
disposed [2]. In the textile industry, methylene blue is one of the most commonly used thiazine dyes,
because it is economical and also easy to obtain. The use of methylene blue may cause some effects,
such as gastrointestinal irritation if swallowed, causing cyanosis if inhaled, and irritation of the skin if
touched by the skin [3].
Many dye removal processing methods have been tried to deal with this problem, but only the
adsorption method is superior to other methods [4]. Because adsorption is a simple, easy to operate,
flexible, affordable method of separation, and does not produce toxic products [5]. The first step to get
an effective adsorption process is by selecting adsorbents with high selectivity, capacity and recyclable.
Spent bleaching earth (SBE) is using of adsorbent generated from CPO refining process.
In this research, spent bleaching earth (SBE) will be used as adsorbent to adsorb the methylene blue
dye with variation of pH 6, 8, and 10, variation of adsorbent mass 1, 1.5 and 2 g and 60 minute stirring
time, 90 minutes and 120 minutes.

2. Experimental
The activation was done to process of spent bleaching earth was done by heating using furnace at 500
°C for 7 hours, then sieved using 200 mesh sieves. The preparation of the liquor was carried out by
dissolving 1 gram of methylene blue into a 1 litter flask, and added aquadest to the threshold. Standard
methylene blue solution with 1 ppm concentration of 10 mL was measured using UV-VIS
spectrophotometer to obtain the maximum wavelength. Methylene blue solution with a concentration of
20 ppm with variation of pH 6, 8, 10 and 12 taken 200 mL and fed into a beaker. Then added adsorbents
with the variation as much as 1, 1.5, and 2 grams. For then, stirred with a magnetic stirrer with a speed
of 205 rpm varied for 60, 90, and 120 minutes. Subsequently the solution was filtered using filter paper,
deposited on the sample bottle for analysis.

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Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd 1
ICOOPChE 2017 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 345 (2018) 012008 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/345/1/012008
1234567890‘’“”

From the analysis with the adsorption method, the colour testing of the sample before and after added
adsorbent spent bleaching earth is by calculating the efficiency of decreasing concentration. The
adsorption capacity is calculated from the Langmuir equation or Freundlich equation [6].

3. Result and discussions

Effect of pH variation on reduced methylene blue substance concentration is presented in Figure 1. Base
on the figure, it is seen that the efficiency of decreasing concentration of the highest methylene blue dye
at pH 8. It was possible that the isoelectronic point of methylene blue lies at pH 8 and the functional
group present in the adsorbent could bind the dye to its maximum. At lower pH, H+ in the solution will
further disrupt the bonding between the adsorbent and methylene blue, as more carboxyl and siloxane
groups in the adsorbent bind the H+ and become positively charged, resulting in the adsorbents becoming
more difficult to bind to the methylene blue dye ions. At pH 10 there was a decrease, because of OH - in
the solution could not be captured by the dye, so there werefree OH-in the solution. The carboxyl group
present in the adsorbent was a positive partially charged active group, so that at the time of addition of
the colour base tends to be partially negative. This led to competition between the dye and the free OH-
ion to occupy the surface of the adsorbent which will decrease the dye adsorption power by adsorbent

100
pH = 6
pH = 10
Efficiency (%)

99,5 pH = 8

99

98,5
60 90 120 150
Stirring Time (Minutes)

Figure 1. Effect of pH variation on decreasing methylene

blue colour substance concentrations.

The use of an appropriate amount of adsorbent mass will affect to the efficiency of decreasing of the
concentration of the methylene blue dye. It can be seen in the following picture that there is an increase
in stress on the methylene blue dye in each adsorbent mass increase. 2 gr of adsorbent mass always has
the highest decreasing efficiency. This is directly proportional to the theory put forward by Wambu [7]
that the more adsorbent mass used the higher the efficiency level. The results of this study indicate that
the more mass of the adsorbent undergoing 200 mL of methylene blue dye solution, the more the dye
adsorbed by the adsorbent.
The agitation time used has an effect on the efficiency of decreasing concentration of methylene blue
dye. It can be seen in Figure 1 and Figure 2 that there is always an increase in the efficiency of decreasing
the concentration of the methylene blue dye in each increase in aggregation time. The stirring time of
120 minutes always has the highest decreasing efficiency for each pH and the adsorbent mass has been
varied. The results obtained in accordance with the theory proposed [8] that the longer time of stirring
it will get the results of high concentration reduction efficiency. The small particle size has a greater
molecular interaction power so that its absorption becomes better.

2
ICOOPChE 2017 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 345 (2018) 012008 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/345/1/012008
1234567890‘’“”

100
1 gr
99,9 1,5 gr
2 gr
Efficiency (%)
99,8

99,7

99,6

99,5

99,4
60 90 120 150
Stirring time (Minutes)
Figure 2. Effect of adsorbent mass variation on decreasing
concentration methylene blue substance.
To know the adsorption capacity of pH variation, adsorbent mass and stirring speed at adsorption of
methylene blue dye by spent bleaching earth then used two isotherm models namely Langmuir and
Freundlich isotherms. The determination of isotherm signifies a relationship with the adsorption
capacity, therefore the Ce Versus Ce / qe curve was made according to the Langmuir isotherm model in
Figure (a) and the Ce versus log qe log curve according to the Freundlich isotherm model in Figure (b)
By comparing the coefficient of determination (r2), an appropriate adsorption isotherm model will be
selected.

0,3004 0,3006 0,3008 0,301

0,025
0
y = 1.986x + 0.000
0,02
r² = 1 -0,5 y = -1849.x + 554.2
0,015
Ce/qe

-1 r² = 0.947
Log qe

0,01
-1,5
0,005 -2
0 -2,5
0 0,005 0,01 0,015
Ce Log Ce

Figure 3. Freundlich isoterm from methylene Figure 4. Langmuirfrom methylene blue

blue adsorption by spent bleaching earth on a adsorption by spent bleaching earth on a
variation of pH. variation of pH.

From Figure 4 (a) and Figure (b) it can be seen that the isotherms suitable for methylene blue
adsorption by spent bleachiang earth on variarian pH is Langmuir isotherm because it has a higher
coefficient of determination (r2) that is 1 whereas for isotherms Frenudlich coefficient of determination
is only 0.947, the isotherm used is Langmuir isotherms with adsorption capacity (Qo) of 0.5035 mg / g.
This result is in line with what was stated by [9], that the adsorption of methylene blue dye follows
Langmuir isotherms. These results suggest that the possibility of the adsorption process occurring
involves the formation of a strong enough bond (chemisorpsi) greater than in fisisorpsi so that it is
difficult to be released again.

3
ICOOPChE 2017 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 345 (2018) 012008 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/345/1/012008
1234567890‘’“”

4. Conclusions
Efficiency of decreasing concentration in methylene blue dye was highest when pH 8, 2 gram adsorbent
mass and stirring time 120 minutes with efficiency decreasing concentration of 99.973%. Adsorption of
methylene blue dye by spent bleaching earth on pH variation follows Langmuir isotherm with
determination coefficient (r2) is 1, adsorption capacity of 0.5035 mg / g. Adsorption of methylene blue
dye by spent bleaching earth on variation of adsorbent mass following Langmuir isotherm with
determination coefficient (r2) is 0.843, adsorption capacity of 0.3816 mg / g. Adsorption of methylene
blue dye by spent bleaching earth on variation of stirring time following Langmuir isotherm with
determination coefficient (r2) is 1, the adsorption capacity is 0.5012 mg / g.

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