Efficiency of the Coagulation-Flocculation Method for the Treatment of Dye Mixtures Containing Disperse and Reactive Dye

Abstract

Abstract The coagulation-flocculation method was used to treat aqueous solutions containing varying ratios of commercial disperse and reactive dyes. The effectiveness of this method was assessed using such coagulants as alum, polyaluminium chloride (PACl) and MgCl2, and an anionic coagulant aid. The jar test method was used to measure the effects of pH and coagulant type and dosage on colour removal and chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction. The effect of coagulant aid on floc settling time was also measured. The results showed that the coagulant dosage needed to achieve optimum colour removal and COD reduction increased as the percentage of reactive dye in the mixture increased. Alum and PACl performed effectively in a lower pH range (pH 3.8 to 5.2), whereas MgCl2 performed effectively in a higher pH range (pH 10.4 to 10.9). PACl was more effective than MgCl2 and alum, achieving >99% colour removal and 96.3% COD reduction using a smaller quantity of the coagulant. The addition of coagulant aid improved floc settling time. These results show that PACl is more effective than MgCl2 and alum in removing both colour and COD in the treatment of the industrial textile wastewater samples.