Sono-sorption as a new method for the removal of methylene blue from aqueous solution

The sorption of methylene blue as a basic dye onto cellulosic materials such as waste newspaper was examined kinetically in the presence of ultrasound (sono-sorption) and in its absence (conventional method). The effects of various experimental parameters such as the amount of sorbent, type of cellulosic sorbents, initial dye concentration, temperature, and contact time have been investigated using a batch sorption technique. The information obtained can be used for treating effluents from the dye industry which deals with this kind of dye. The results show that as the amount of sorbent is increased, the dye removal in conventional method increases accordingly. In case of sono-sorption, it was stopped at specific amount of sorbent. More than 98% removal of the dye could be achieved in a very short period of time of sonication with respect to the conventional method. This behavior is related to the cavitation process which facilitates the removal of dye from aqueous solution. The method mentioned could be employed as a low cost alternative to the commercial activated carbon currently used in wastewater treatment for the removal of dyes. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.