Poly(acrylic acid)-zeolite nanocomposites for dye removal from single and binary systems

<p>In this research, nanocomposites of zeolite/acrylic acid were synthesized with different amount of acrylic acid (AA) as monomer and ammonium persulfate (APS) as an initiator to remove cationic dyes from wastewater in single and binary systems. Basic Red 46 (BR46) and Basic blue 41 (BB41) were used as the cationic dyes. The surface characteristics of nanocomposites were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope. FTIR results confirmed successful attachment of acrylic acid on the zeolite surface. The influence of different factors such as initial monomer concentration and amount of initiator on dye removal in single system, and adsorbent dosage, pH, and initial dye concentration in single and binary systems were evaluated. The dye adsorption isotherm and kinetics were studied. Results indicated that adsorption of BR46 and BB41 onto nanocomposites is well fitted with Langmuir isotherm and the rate of sorption was found to conform to pseudo-second-order kinetic with good correlation. The maximum dye adsorption capacity (<i>Q</i>₀) of composites for two different amounts of AA and APS in nanocomposite (0.17 mmol AA + 3.50 mmol APS and 0.26 mmol AA + 6.57 mmol APS) was 2,439.02 and 2,702.70 for BB41, 2,272.72 and 2,380.95 mg/g for BR46 in single system, 2,083.33 and 2,127.65 for BB41, 1,785.71 and 1,923.07 mg/g for BR46 in binary system. Results illustrated that zeolite/acrylic acid nanocomposites could be suggested as an efficient nanoadsorbent to remove cationic dyes from wastewaters.</p