Multi-parametric filtration effect of the dyes mixture removal with the low cost materials

Abstract

In the course of this project we were able to develop a wastewater treatment method, column filtration, which turned out to be effective, affordable, and easily implementable. We tested filtration/adsorption process on a mixture of three dyes, methylene blue (MB), crystal violet (CV), and methyl orange (MO) on a column 50 cm of height and 5 cm in diameter. The column material consisted of equal amounts of walnut shells powder (WSP), corn cob powder calcined (CCPC), and pyrophyllite (PY) was proved to be more efficient. The aim of the present study was to optimize and standardize the operational and experimental parameters of the column. A number of tests were carried out to do this by changing the particle size of the adsorbent materials, the percolation debit of the filtrate and the height of the filter bed. The examination by UV-visible spectrometry shows that the removal percentage by 99% was carried out by the diameter of 120 μm predominantly with percolation debit of the filtrate of 50 mL min−1 and the height of column bed of 4.5 cm. When the materials having macroscopic porous structure with a very small grain diameter were used, of small-sized dyes into the filtering medium without being trapped. On the other hand, it is noticed that the efficiency of the adsorption by filtration increases with the increase in the height of the filter bed and decreases with the increase of both the percolation debit and particle size of the adsorbents.

Keywords

• adsorption
• column filtration
• filter bed height
• percolation debit