Title: Adsorption of model textile dyes from aqueous solutions using agricultural wastes as adsorbents: equilibrium, kinetics and fixed bed column study

Authors: Sampa Chakrabarti, Basab Chaudhuri, Binay K. Dutta

Addresses: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Calcutta, 92, Acharya P.C. Road, Kolkata 700 009, India. ' Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Calcutta, 92, Acharya P.C. Road, Kolkata 700 009, India. ' Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Technology Petronas, Malaysia

Abstract: Gram husk and groundnut shell are cheap and abundantly available agricultural waste materials in India. A systematic study on the adsorption of some model dyes from aqueous solution on these low-cost adsorbents has been attempted. Model dyes used were Methylene Blue, Rhodamine B, Congo Red, Eosine Y and Metanil Yellow. Equilibrium, kinetics and column experiments were performed. Effects of different process variables have been studied. Equilibrium data fitted well in Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm equations. A model using Freundlich equation has been developed for interpretation of kinetic data. Other models such as Lagergren equation and pseudo second order equation were also used. Of these models, pseudo second order equation was found to be the most satisfactory. Column experiments were carried out with gram-husk and Rhodamine B. The data could be correlated well with BDST model.

Keywords: gram husk; groundnut shells; Lagergren; pseudo second order kinetics; BDST model; adsorption; textile dyes; agricultural wastes; equilibrium; fixed bed column; kinetic modelling; sorption; India; dye removal; wastewater treatment; biosorption.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2008.020796

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2008 Vol.34 No.1/2/3/4, pp.261 - 274

Published online: 16 Oct 2008 *

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