Sludge-based activated carbon catalyzed H₂O₂ oxidation of reactive azo dyes

Sludge-based activated carbon (ZAC) was successfully employed as both adsorbent and catalyst for the oxidation process of reactive yellow 86 (RY86) and reactive black 5 (RB5). Physicochemical properties of the prepared sewage sludge-derived activated carbon were evaluated by N₂ adsorption/desorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effects of parameters such as initial pH, H₂O₂ concentrations, ZAC dosages, dye concentrations and temperature on the removal of RY86 and RB5 were investigated. Kinetics results showed that the adsorption rates of RY86 and RB5 by ZAC can be approximated by the pseudo-first order model, and that the oxidation rates by Behnajady-Modirshahla-Ghanbery (BMG) model. Under the optimum conditions in the experiment, i.e. pH = 6.0, T = 303 K, [H₂O₂] = 49.5 mmol/L, [ZAC] = 4 g/L, [dyes] = 300 mg/L and t = 150 min, 99%, 88% and 84% of colour, COD and TOC were removed by Fenton -like oxidation for RY86, while for RB5, the three removal rates were 90%, 70% and 62%, respectively, indicating that sludge-based activated carbon can be used as an effective catalyst to oxidation of dyes by H₂O₂ from coloured wastewater.