Optimization and modeling of a fixed-bed biosorption of textile dye using agricultural biomass from the Moroccan Sahara
Younes Abrouki, Jamal Mabrouki, Abdelkader Anouzla, Safaa Khattabi Rifi, Yousra Zahiri, Soukaina Nehhal, Adil El Yadini, Rachid Slimani, Souad El Hajjaji, H. Loukili, Salah Souabi
Abstract
ABSTRACT Textile manufacturing is one of the major industries that discharge an enormous quantity of dyes over the printing and dyeing process. Accordingly, the increasing demand for efficient and inexpensive treatment has enabled the innovation of low-cost alternative adsorbents. In this study, agricultural biomass from the Moroccan Sahara (ABMS) was investigated as an ecofriendly and low-cost biosorbent of textile dye. The effect of independent variables affecting the process fixed-bed adsorption such as inlet textile dye concentration (40, 80, and 120 mg L –1 ), flow rate (2, 4, and 6 mL min –1 ) and bed height (5, 10, and 15 mm), were modeled and evaluated by response surface methodology based on the Box–Behnken design. The kinetic models, Thomas and Yoon and Nelson model were applied to experimental data to predict the breakthrough curves using linear regression and to determine the characteristic parameters of the packed bed column. The data were in good agreement for both models with R 2 > 0.95. The maximum Methylene blue dye removal capacity was found to be 30.15 mg g –1 . These findings suggested that ABMS biosorbent without any activation in the column structure presents great potential in the removal of dyes from textile wastewater.