Three adsorbents, namely, bentonite-alginate beads, activated carbon-alginate beads, and activated carbon-bentonite-alginate beads (ABA) were prepared for the adsorption of methylene blue (MB). The effects of solution pH (3-11), temperature (30, 40, and 50 degrees C), initial concentration (25-500 mg/L), and contact time were investigated. Results showed that the maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of ABA beads for the adsorption of MB was 756.97 mg/g at 30 degrees C. Furthermore, the adsorption kinetics illustrated the suitability of employing the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The equilibrium adsorption data fitted the Freundlich isotherm well. In addition, the ABA composite exhibited more than 70% adsorption uptake capacity after six regeneration cycles. The outcomes of this study suggest the potential of ABA composite for cationic dye removal. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.