Anionic Dye Removal from Aqueous Solution Using Chitosan Modified Irind Mine Pumice

Abstract

In this paper, the adsorption of Congo red dye from an aqueous solution using chitosan-coated pumice (CCP) has been studied. The abundant natural pumice from Irind mine (Republic of Armenia) was successfully activated by an acid activation method and modified with chitosan. The adsorbent was applied as a low-cost, and environmentally-friendly adsorbent for Congo red dye removal from aqueous solution. The modified pumice samples were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). To study the adsorption behavior of Congo red dye on modified pumice, the batch adsorption method was used. The effects of operating parameters on Congo red dye adsorption on modified pumice were examined, including adsorbent dose, pH, contact time, and starting concentration. Solutions of Congo red dye concentrations before and after adsorption were measured by UV-Vis Spectrophotometer (Cary-60). The wavelength of 3.799 nm-1 corresponds to the dye's maximum absorbance, and the obtained spectra revealed that no peak was found above the threshold after modifications.

Keywords

• surface-modified pumice
• chitosan
• Congo red dye
• absorption