In a recent study published in the Samarra Journal of Pure and Applied Science, Asmaa Natiq Al-Irhayim and colleagues introduced a new adsorbent made from a kaolin clay-biochar composite to remove methylene blue (MB) from wastewater.

The composite was created by blending kaolin clay with date seeds in a 1:1 mass ratio and then carbonizing the mixture at 500°C for one hour. The resulting composite was characterized using various techniques to determine its morphological and chemical properties.  

The study revealed that the composite has a BET surface area of 33.10 m2/g and a mean pore volume of 13.45 nm, indicating its mesoporous nature. In batch adsorption tests, the composite demonstrated a high removal efficiency of 99.42% for methylene blue under specific conditions (0.15 g composite, 40°C, 1 hour, pHpH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline a substance is. A pH of 7 is neutral, while lower pH values indicate acidity and higher values indicate alkalinity. Biochars are normally alkaline and can influence soil pH, often increasing it, which can be beneficial More 10). The reusability of the composite after methylene blue adsorption was also investigated.  

The research highlights the increasing concern of water contamination caused by industrial processes, particularly from harmful organic dyes like methylene blue. The каоlin clay-biochar composite offers a promising solution for wastewater treatment due to its effectiveness in removing methylene blue and the availability of its raw materials.  

SOURCE: Al-Irhayim, A. N., Othman, N. S., & Basil, A. F. (2025). Friendly-Natural (Clay-Biochar) Composite for the Removal of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Phase. Samarra Journal of Pure and Applied Science, 7(1), 1-14.