REMOVAL OF DIFFERENT BASIC-DYES FROM AQUEOUS-SOLUTIONS BY ADSORPTION ON PALM-FRUIT BUNCH PARTICLES

The adsorption of three basic dyes (basic yellow, basic red and basic blue) from an aqueous solution on palm-fruit bunch particles has been studied. The equilibrium isotherm for each dye-adsorbent system was de termined. The experimental results have been fitted with Langmuir, Fre undlich and Redlich-Peterson isotherms. The maximum adsorption capacit ies of the palm-fruit bunch particles were found to be 327 mg yellow d ye per gram of adsorbent, 180 mg red dye per gram of adsorbent and 92 mg blue dye per gram of adsorbent. A comparative cost study, based on the adsorption capacity alone, has shown that the costs of the adsorbe nt required are 1.9%, 4.4% and 7.1%, respectively, compared with the c ase of commercial activated carbon granules. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.