Batch sorption experiments were carried out for the removal of metylene blue from its aqueous solution using H3PO4 activated Acacia arabica carbon (AAC). The prepared activated carbon was characterized and was found as an effective adsorbent material. The operating variables studied were initial metylene blue concentration, AAC concentration and solution pH. AAC activated carbon posses a maximum sorption capacity for the range of initial dye concentrations studied (60~100 mg L-1). The sorption kinetics were analyzed using reversible first order kinetics, second order, reversible first order, pseudo-first order, and pseudo-second order model. The sorption data tend to fit very well in pseudo-second order model for the entire sorption time. The average pseudo-second order rate constant, KII and regression coefficient value were determined to be 0.0174 mg g-1 min-1 and 0.9977. The biosorption process also fit well to reversible I order kinetics with a regression coefficient of 0.9878.

• N. Sivarajasekar(Department of Chemical Engineering, Kongu Engineering College)
• S. Srileka(Department of Chemical Engineering, Kongu Engineering College)
• S. Samson Arun Prasath(Department of Chemical Engineering, Kongu Engineering College)
• S. Robinson(Department of Chemical Engineering, Kongu Engineering College)
• K. Saravanan(Department of Chemical Engineering, Kongu Engineering College)