The use of chitin and chitosan for the removal of reactive black 5 dye

In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of Reactive Black 5 dye adsorption onto chitin and chitosan flakes. Adsorption capacity of chitin and chitosan, optimal pH of the adsorption process and reaction equilibrium time were determined. Results achieved were described with Freundlich, Langmuir and double Langmuir models. The pH value ensuring the highest dye adsorption effectiveness onto chitosan was pH 4. In turn, the highest dye adsorption effectiveness onto chitin was determined at pH 2, however considering that the pH value of industrial wastewater containing reactive dyes ranges from pH 3 to pH 4, further analyses with chitin were continued at pH 3. The time needed to reach the equilibrium concentration of dye was 360 min for chitin and 72 hours for chitosan. The study demonstrated that chitosan is the most effective sorbent of RB5. Its maximum adsorption capacity of the reactive dye accounted for 696.99 mg/g d.m., compared to 131.56 mg/g d.m. determined for chitin. Higher effectiveness of RB5 removal by chitosan is result of more number of amine groups in the chemical structure of this polymer, compared to chitin.