ADSORPTION STUDIES ON THE REMOVAL OF NAPHTOL-AS DYE USING IRON FILINGS AS ADSORBENT

Abstract

This study investigated the potential of iron filings as low cost and environmentally friendly adsorbent for removing Naphthol AS dye from aqueous solutions. The batch-adsorption experiments were performed as a function of pH, temperature, concentration, contact time as well as dynamics of the process. The Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Raduskevich isotherm models for the adsorption processes were tested but Freundlich isotherm provided the best description for adsorption of the dye solution onto the iron filings, suggesting a physisorption controlled adsorption. The adsorption process was highly pH-dependent and the result indicates that the optimum pH for adsorption of Naphthol AS onto the adsorbent occurred at 4.0 having a maximum removal efficiency of 88 % respectively. Pseudo first-order and second-order as well as the intra-particle diffusivity kinetic models were applied to the experimental data and results showed that the pseudo second-order provided best fit for the experimental data. Kinetic studies also showed that the adsorption transport mechanism was particle-diffusion controlled.