Application of Functionalized DVB-co-GMA Polymeric Microspheres in the Enhanced Sorption Process of Hazardous Dyes from Dyeing Baths

Abstract

Intensive development of many industries, including textile, paper, plastic or food, generate huge amounts of wastewaters containing not only toxic dyes but also harmful auxiliaries such as salts, acid, bases, surfactants, oxidants, heavy metal ions. The search for effective pollutant adsorbents is a huge challenge for scientists. Synthesis of divinylbenzene copolymer with glycidyl methacrylate functionalized with triethylenetetramine (DVB-co-GMA-TETA) resin was performed and the obtained microspheres were evaluated as a potential adsorbent for acid dye removal from dyeing effluents. The sorption capacities were equal to 142.4 mg/g for C.I. Acid Green 16 (AG16), 172 mg/g for C.I. Acid Violet 1 (AV1) and 216.3 mg/g for C.I. Acid Red 18 (AR18). Non-linear fitting of the Freundlich isotherm to experimental data was confirmed rather than the Langmuir, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich. The kinetic studies revealed that intraparticle diffusion is the rate-limiting step during dye adsorption. Auxiliaries such as Na2SO4 (5–25 g/L), CH3COOH (0.25–1.5 g/L) and anionic surfactant (0.1–0.5 g/L) present in the dyeing baths enhance the dye adsorption by the resin in most cases. Regeneration of DVB-co-GMA-TETA is possible using 1 M NaCl-50% v/v CH3OH.