Dye adsorption characteristics of alginate/polyaspartate hydrogels

This study examined the removal of some basic dyes, such as Methylene Blue, Malachite Green and Methyl Orange, using alginate or alginate/polyaspartate composite gel beads. The adsorption of dyes from aqueous solutions at 25 degrees C was examined using a batch sorption technique. The effects of CaCl2 and the dye concentration on the adsorption were examined. Type-S adsorption isotherms were obtained, which is characteristic of a weak solute-solid interaction. The ionic interaction between the dye molecule and gel matrix appears to be responsible for the efficient adsorption of cationic dyes in this system. These results suggest that an alginate/polyaspartate gel can be used as an effective sorbent for water pollutants such as dyes, and the immobilization of these organic contaminants in the hydrogels from wastewater can solve one of the most important environmental problems in the related industry. (C) 2008 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.