Adsorption behavior of methylene blue using purified moroccan clay/alginate beads: response surface methodology optimization

The present study aims to investigate the adsorption behavior of methylene blue (MB) using purified Moroccan clay/alginate beads and optimize the process conditions using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Composite alginate beads were synthesized via the drop method, and their performance as adsorbents for MB removal was assessed under varying pH levels, adsorbent dosage, and initial MB concentration using the Box-Behnken design. The results revealed that the optimal conditions for achieving 100% MB removal were pH 11.8, adsorbent mass of 4.9 g, and MB concentration of 191 ppm. The adsorption process was well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model, suggesting that the process involves monolayer adsorption. Moreover, the regenerated adsorbent exhibited satisfactory adsorption performance after five cycles. These findings demonstrate the potential of purified Moroccan clay/alginate beads as an efficient, reusable adsorbent for MB removal from water solutions, contributing to the development of sustainable solutions for dye removal in wastewater treatment applications.