Decolorization of synthetic textile effluents using methyltrioctylammonium-based DES

Abstract

In light of the escalating environmental challenges posed by the huge generation of wastewater and residues from dyeing processes, addressing water scarcity concerns has become an urgent imperative. This study proposes a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution via liquid–liquid extraction to effectively eliminate dyes from industrial effluents, producing clean and reusable water resources. Methyltrioctylammonium (N1888) based deep eutectic solvents (DESs) show remarkable capabilities as extracting agents. Combined with octanoic and decanoic acids, the bromide and chloride ammonium salts were used to prepare four solvents. They were physically characterized and tested before a wide variety of colorants and synthetic effluents, including real auxiliar agents used in the textile industry. Extraction percentages across all experiments showed an average of 98.39%, reaching a maximum of 99.96% efficiency for the extraction of Reactive Black 5 from aqueous solution, which shows the potential of these solvents to mitigate the environmental impact of dyeing processes.