USE OF CHITOSAN ADSORBENTS FOR DYE REMOVAL IN THE AIR-LIFT REACTOR

Abstract

Adsorption tests in the air-lift reactor were carried out for six dyes – four anionic (RR11, RB5, RB8, and RR18) and two cationic (BV10 and BG 4) – as well as three adsorbents – chitosan flakes, chitosan in the form of beads, and modified sawdust immobilised in chitosan (adsorbent 3). The dye concentration in the inflow to the reactor in all the conducted test series was 10 mg/dm3; the amount of adsorbent was also constant at 10 g dry matter (d.m./dm3, and the flow rate was 0.1 V/h. For all tested dyes, the obtained maximum adsorption capacity was high and ranged from 3802 to 2203 mg/g d.m. for chitosan flakes, from 3312 to 2076 mg/g d.m. for chitosan beads, and from 2734 to 2148 mg/g d.m. for modified sawdust immobilised in chitosan. The immobilisation of sawdust on chitosan resulted in effective adsorption of both anionic and cationic dyes.