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Article

Production of Bioadsorbents via Low-Temperature Pyrolysis of Exhausted Olive Pomace for the Removal of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Media

by
Safae Chafi
1,*,
Manuel Cuevas-Aranda
1,2,*,
Mª Lourdes Martínez-Cartas
1,2 and
Sebastián Sánchez
2
1
Department of Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering, Science & Technology Campus of Linares, University of Jaén, Avda. de la Universidad s/n, 23700 Linares, Spain
2
Olive Grove and Olive Oils Research Institute, 23071 Jaén, Spain
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Molecules 2025, 30(15), 3254; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30153254 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 30 June 2025 / Revised: 28 July 2025 / Accepted: 1 August 2025 / Published: 3 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biomass Chemicals: Transformation and Valorization)

Abstract

In this work, biochars were produced by pyrolysis of exhausted olive pomace and evaluated as low-cost adsorbents for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. The biochar obtained at 400 °C for 1 h, which exhibited the best adsorption performance, was characterized by FTIR, N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms, SEM-EDX, and proximate analysis, revealing a mesoporous structure with a relatively low specific surface area but enriched in surface functional groups, likely due to the partial degradation of lignocellulosic components. Adsorption experiments were conducted to optimize operational parameters such as solid particle size (2–3 mm), agitation speed (75 rpm), and bioadsorbent dosage (1 g per 0.05 L of MB solution), which allowed for dye removal efficiencies close to 100%. Kinetic studies showed that MB adsorption followed a pseudo-second-order model, while equilibrium data at 30 °C were best described by the Langmuir isotherm (R2 = 0.999; SE = 4.25%), suggesting monolayer coverage and strong adsorbate–adsorbent affinity. Desorption trials using water, ethanol, and their mixtures resulted in low MB recovery, whereas the addition of 10% acetic acid significantly improved desorption performance. Under optimal conditions, up to 52% of the retained dye was recovered.
Keywords: exhausted olive pomace; biochar; adsorption; kinetics; isotherms; methylene blue; water treatment exhausted olive pomace; biochar; adsorption; kinetics; isotherms; methylene blue; water treatment

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MDPI and ACS Style

Chafi, S.; Cuevas-Aranda, M.; Martínez-Cartas, M.L.; Sánchez, S. Production of Bioadsorbents via Low-Temperature Pyrolysis of Exhausted Olive Pomace for the Removal of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Media. Molecules 2025, 30, 3254. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30153254

AMA Style

Chafi S, Cuevas-Aranda M, Martínez-Cartas ML, Sánchez S. Production of Bioadsorbents via Low-Temperature Pyrolysis of Exhausted Olive Pomace for the Removal of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Media. Molecules. 2025; 30(15):3254. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30153254

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chafi, Safae, Manuel Cuevas-Aranda, Mª Lourdes Martínez-Cartas, and Sebastián Sánchez. 2025. "Production of Bioadsorbents via Low-Temperature Pyrolysis of Exhausted Olive Pomace for the Removal of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Media" Molecules 30, no. 15: 3254. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30153254

APA Style

Chafi, S., Cuevas-Aranda, M., Martínez-Cartas, M. L., & Sánchez, S. (2025). Production of Bioadsorbents via Low-Temperature Pyrolysis of Exhausted Olive Pomace for the Removal of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Media. Molecules, 30(15), 3254. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30153254

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