Removal of dyes from aqueous solution by sorption with fly ash using a hydrocyclone

doi:10.1016/j.jece.2018.08.011

Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering

Volume 6, Issue 4, August 2018, Pages 5204-5211

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2018.08.011 Get rights and content

Highlights

•
A novel technique was used for removal of methyl orange from wastewater.
•
Fly ash used as adsorbent for removal of methyl orange (dye) from wastewater.
•
Dye removal efficiency found 66% at 50 LPM of 60 mg/l slurry in a ribbed hydrocyclone.

Abstract

Methyl orange is an anionic water-soluble carcinogenic azo dye. Excessive dye concentration in water is a major health concern worldwide. In this current study, experiments have been conducted to remove methyl orange from aqueous solution using fly ash as an adsorbent in a continuous mode by using a hydrocyclone. A spiral rib has been introduced in the cylindrical part of the conventional hydrocyclone to increase the performance and this hydrocyclone is called as a ribbed hydrocyclone. Experiments were carried out to analyse the performance of particle separation and dye removal efficiency of the ribbed hydrocyclone. The cut size d₅₀ of the ribbed hydrocyclone was 21 μm at a slurry flow rate of 50 LPM. Maximum methyl orange removal efficiency was 66% for the initial concentration of 60 mg/l for the dose of 2 g/l at a slurry flow rate of 50 LPM. The novelty of the current study revealed that the ribbed hydrocyclone is more efficient than conventional one and it could be used for the removal of both fly ash and methyl orange in a continuous mode.

Introduction

Dyes and pigments are used by the textile, paper and pulp, printing, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, tanneries, electroplating and food processing industries among a plethora of other industries to colour the products. The textile industry, in particular, is one of the largest industries in India that heavily depends on the usage of dyes for colouration of fibres. It is estimated that the total dye consumption in the textile industry worldwide is around 10⁷ kg/year. About 90% of this amount gets used on fabrics consequently discharging about 10³ tonnes/year of dyes into waste streams [1]. Due to the increasing usage of dyes in the industries, and inefficiencies of the conventional methods of wastewater treatment at low dye concentrations, dyes easily find their way to reach the water bodies affecting the quality of water and eventually posing a threat to aquatic life and ecosystem [2]. Apart from affecting the aesthetic nature of water, dyes also reduce the photosynthetic activity of water bodies by interfering with the transmission of sunlight [3]. Dyes are produced from hazardous chemicals like benzidine; some dyes are even carcinogenic and mutagenic. Azo dyes, in general, are well-known carcinogens [4].

Methyl orange (MO) has been chosen in this study owing to their toxic nature and wide applications in various industries. Methyl orange is an anionic water-soluble azo dye [5]. It has a complex molecular structure, with a single bond N double bond N bond, and is inherently stable. It has applications in industries where it is mostly used for colouration [6]. It is also used in research facilities as a pH indicator owing to its weak acid behaviour. Effect of ingestion of methyl orange and consequent intestinal enzymatic activities have been studied in rats, and the dye has shown to increase their azo reductase activities [7]. Methyl orange, upon ingestion, is metabolized into carcinogenic aromatic amines by intestinal microorganisms [8]. Though the toxic effects of methyl orange are still under research, there is no denying the fact that its presence in high content in the living systems can be harmful to flora and fauna. Therefore, removal of hazardous dyes like methyl orange from wastewater is crucial for a healthy ecosystem.

Numerous treatment techniques (physical, chemical and biological) have been proposed to remove dyes from wastewater [9]. These techniques include ion-exchange [10], coagulation-flocculation [11,12], membrane filtration [13,14], electrochemical treatment [15], electrolytic treatment [16], biodegradation [17,18], photocatalytic degradation [19], solar degradation [20], sonochemical and sonocatalytic degradation [21,22], UV-H₂O₂ degradation [23], and adsorption [[24], [25], [26]]. The main disadvantage of membrane filtration is fouling [27], and dyes are not easily degraded with light and oxidation reactions [28]. Adsorption is by far the most preferred technique as it is economically efficient and applicable at even low concentrations of the dye. All other treatment methods have found to have one or more limitations regarding cost, design and dye removal efficiency. For methyl orange, in particular, adsorption on tailored silica gels [29], mesoporous carbon material [30], de-oiled soya and bottom ash [31], activated carbon derived from Phragmites australis [32], surfactant modified silkworm exuviate [33], coal fly ash [34], ultrafine coal powder [35], and cellulose-based wastes [36] have been explored.

Indian coal has high ash content, and burning coal is predominantly used for thermal power generation leads to excess production of fly ash as a by-product [37,38]. Out of the total fly ash produced, it is estimated that less than 10% (in India) and 25% (globally) is utilized [39]. This has led to an excess of fly ash being directly disposed of in landfills. With increasing costs of disposal and possible leaching of toxic materials from fly ash to soil, ground and surface water [40], new methods are being explored to utilize the abundantly available fly ash. Therefore, fly ash being efficient, cheap and easily available, that is used in the current study.

Though many researchers have delved into the study of adsorption kinetics and equilibrium in batch mode, few studies have been undertaken to analyse adsorption in the continuous mode. Adsorption of dyes on various agricultural wastes in a fixed bed column [41] and continuous stirred reactors [42] has been studied. Hydrocyclone has been used for separation of dyes by ash particles [43] and fluoride by alumina [44]. Hydrocyclones are less energy intensive, have high operational reliability and are simple in construction. Owing to the advantages mentioned above, hydrocyclones are widely used to separate particulates from the liquid. Hydrocyclone performance can be improved by controlling the inside turbulence structure of the hydrocyclone. So, a spiral rib is introduced inside the cylindrical part of the hydrocyclone to increase the performance of the hydrocyclone [45,46]. This hydrocyclone is named as a ribbed hydrocyclone. This ribbed hydrocyclone is used for removal of methyl orange in a continuous process.

In this study, ribbed hydrocyclone is used to separate dyes, methyl orange with the help of fly ash adsorbent. The effects of initial concentration of dyes and fly ash doses on removal efficiency have been investigated in a hydrocyclone. Considering the advantages regarding power requirement, maintenance and cost, hydrocyclone was chosen to remove both adsorbent and consequently the dye, as particulate and dye is a common problem in some industries. Fly ash is cheap and easily available. Therefore, it does not need regeneration, and hence it has been preferred over other costly adsorbents.

Section snippets

Adsorbate: methyl orange

Methyl orange, an azo-dye, was chosen as the adsorbate. It has the molecular formula C₁₄H₁₄N₃NaO₃S and a molar mass of 327.33 g/mol. Its chemical structure is depicted in Fig. 1. For the experiment, a stock solution of 1000 mg/l was prepared by dissolving the required amount of the dye in distilled water. This stock solution was then diluted to obtain the required concentrations. UV/VIS spectrophotometer, Lambda 35, Perkin Elmer was used to measure the concentration of dye in aqueous solution. λ

Hydrocyclone performance for particle separation

$y_{c} = \frac{y - R_{f}}{100 - R_{f}} \times 100$ The performance of hydrocyclone for fly ash separation has been analyzed. Experiments were conducted at flow rates of 30, 40 and 50 LPM. The hydrocyclone performance was analyzed by using partition coefficient. Partition coefficient is the weight % of fly ash of each particle size present in the feed that is reported to the underflow of the hydrocyclone. By knowing the slurry flow rate, density and particle size distribution of feed, overflow and underflow, the weight % of fly

Conclusions

Performance of ribbed hydrocyclone for methyl orange dye removal with the help of fly ash adsorbent has been studied. Particle separation efficiency of the ribbed hydrocyclone was calculated using the partition curve. Cut size d₅₀ of the ribbed hydrocyclone was also calculated. Cut size d₅₀ of the ribbed hydrocyclone was 21 μm for 0.5 g/l of the fly ash. Fly ash was used for the removal of methyl orange in a continuous process using the ribbed hydrocyclone. Characterization study showed that

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India for providing with the necessary infrastructural facilities towards carrying out the research work successfully.

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Removal of dyes from aqueous solution by sorption with fly ash using a hydrocyclone

Highlights

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Adsorbate: methyl orange

Hydrocyclone performance for particle separation

Conclusions

Acknowledgement

Chem. Eng. J.

Chemosphere

Chem. Eng. J.

J. Colloid Interface Sci.

Mutat. Res.

J. Clean. Prod.

J. Hazard. Mater.

J. Hazard. Mater.

J. Environ. Chem. Eng.

Desalination

J. Hazard. Mater.

Water Res.

Ultrason. Sonochem.

Ultrason. Sonochem.

J. Hazard. Mater.

J. Environ. Manage.

Chin. J. Chem. Eng.

Chem. Eng. Process.

J. Colloid Interface Sci.

J. Hazard. Mater.

Desalination

J. Hazard. Mater.

Chin. J. Chem. Eng.

J. Hazard. Mater.

Resour. Conserv. Recycl.