Biochar obtained by pyrolysis of the fiber plant kenaf was mixed with bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) in a chitosan-containing acetic acid solution, magnetized, and modified to prepare a chitosan-crosslinked BiFeO3/biochar coupled magnetic material. The adsorption properties of the composite were investigated using methylene blue dissolved in water, and the effects of external conditions, such as pH, methylene blue concentration, reaction time, and temperature, on the adsorption performance were studied. The adsorption data were fitted and analyzed with kinetic and isotherm models, and the results showed that the BiFeO3/biochar coupled magnetic material effectively adsorbed methylene blue. The amounts adsorbed onto this magnetic material increased with increasing initial methylene blue concentration, reaction time, and temperature, and the adsorption performance improved under neutral and alkaline conditions. The pseudo-first-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models satisfactorily fitted the adsorption data, showing that the adsorption of methylene blue involved both chemical and physical adsorption. The maximum adsorption capacity of methylene blue onto the BiFeO3/biochar coupled magnetic material reached 18.942 mg·g-1 at 25 °C, confirming the excellent dye binding activity of this material.
Keywords: adsorption; biochar; composite; magnetic; methylene blue.