Macadamia nut residue-derived biochar: An eco-friendly solution for β-naphthol and Reactive Black-5 removal

The generation of liquid waste containing dyes and complex organic compounds is a problem in the textile industries. In this work, we evaluated the use of macadamia nut residue as a precursor of a biochar for the treatment of these effluents through the adsorption process. The macadamia nut endocarp undergoes a sequential treatment involving pyrolysis at 600 °C followed by physical activation with CO₂ and H₂O vapor at 700 °C. Characterization of the resulting macadamia nut residue-derived biochar (MB) is accomplished through various techniques, including X-ray diffractometry (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), nitrogen physisorption analysis and the pH at the zero charge point (pH_ZCP). Performance studies reveal that pH exerts minimal influence on the adsorption phenomenon. The Elovich kinetic model effectively describes the adsorption kinetics for both β-naphthol and Reactive Black 5 (RB5), with adjusted coefficients of determination (R²_adj) of 0.99 and 0.94, respectively. Further analysis using the intraparticle diffusion model demonstrates that β-naphthol adsorption kinetics involve multiple mechanisms, while RB5 adsorption is predominantly governed by intraparticle diffusion. Equilibrium adsorption data for both adsorbates fit well with the Sips isothermal model, yielding maximum adsorption capacities of q_max β-naphthol = 15.16 mg∙g⁻¹ and q_max RB5 = 3.08 mg∙g⁻¹ at 55 °C. The adsorption process for both compounds is spontaneous and endothermic, based on the enthalpy values, it can be inferred that the β-naphthol adsorption is governed by weak van der Waals forces, indicating physisorption. As for RB5, the enthalpy value suggests that the phenomenon occurs due to electrostatic interactions between the molecule and the surface groups with higher energy involved. This study highlights the potential of macadamia nut residue biomass as a precursor for biochar, demonstrating its favorable attributes for application as an effective adsorbent material in the removal of organic compounds such as β-naphthol and RB5 from wastewater streams within the textile industry.