Adsorption characteristics of humic acid-immobilized amine modified polyacrylamide/bentonite composite for cationic dyes in aqueous solutions

Humic acid-immobilized amine modified polyacrylamide/bentonite composite (HA-Am-PAA-B) was prepared and used as an adsorbent for the adsorption of cationic dyes (Malachite Green (MG), Methylene Blue (MB) and Crystal Violet (CV)) from aqueous solutions. The polyacrylamide/bentonite composite (PAA-B) was prepared by intercalative polymerization of acrylamide with Na-bentonite in the presence of N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide as a crosslinking agent and hexamethylenediammine as propagater. PAA-B was subsequently treated with ethylenediammine to increase its loading capacity for HA. The surface characterizations of the adsorbent were investigated. The adsorbent behaved like a cation exchanger and more than 99.0% removal of dyes was detected at pH range 6.0-8.0. The capacity of HA-Am-PAA-B was found to decrease in the following order: MG > MB > CV. The kinetic and isotherm data were interpreted by pseudo-second order rate equation and Freundlich isotherm model, respectively. Experiments were carried out using binary solute systems to assess the competitive adsorption phenomenon. The experimental isotherm data for each binary solute combination of MG, MB and CV were analyzed using Sheindrof-Rebhun-Sheintuch (SRS) (multicomponent Freundlich type) equation.