A Comparative Study of the Adsorption Capacities of the Adsorbents Rice Husk and Activated Alumina in the Removal of the Dye-Rhodamine B Using Adsorption Technique

摘要

A dye is coloured, ionizing and aromatic organic compound which shows affinity towards the substrate to which it is being applied. Dyes are applied to numerous substrates, for example to textiles, plastic, paper in liquid form. Decolourisation of dyes is an important aspect of wastewater treatment before discharge. It is difficult to remove the dye from the effluent, because dyes are not easily degradable due to their complex aromatic molecular structure and synthetic origin. The aim of the present study is to determine the optimum conditions for the removal of the dye, rhodamine B from wastewater by adsorption technique using rice husk and activated alumina. Batch mode adsorption studies were conducted by varying pH, agitation time, adsorbent dose and temperature. The study also aims at investigating the applicability of the adsorption technique in the treatment of dyeing effluent. It is of interest to explore whether the adsorbents, rice husk and alumina holds promise in textile wastewater treatment process.