Researchers have developed a new adsorbent material from sawdust that can remove methylene blue dye and treat real potato processing wastewater. The material, called bimetallic activated hydrochar (MAHC), achieved a maximum adsorption capacity of 1,635.28 mg/g for methylene blue in batch tests and performed well in continuous flow column experiments. The study was published in Sustainable Carbon Materials and points to a way to turn low-value wood waste into a practical tool for industrial water cleanup. The material works through a combination of pore filling and surface interactions with iron and copper active sites. In fixed bed column tests, it reached breakthrough at 165 minutes for dye solution and 360 minutes for real potato processing wastewater. The authors note that more work is needed on recyclability and room temperature performance before commercial use, but the results suggest a viable waste to resource approach for treating difficult industrial wastewater streams.
