Microcolumn studies of dye biosorption from textile effluent on to dead biomass ofRhizopusarrhizusNCIM 997

Abstract

Adsorption behavior of remazol reactive dyes from textile effluent was investigated using Rhizopus arrhizus as a biosorbent in up-flow fixed-bed micro column. The characteristics of mass transfer zone (MTZ), where adsorption in column occurs, were affected by bed depth and flow rate. The height of mass transfer zone (HMTZ), the rate of mass transfer zone (RMTZ), the effluent volume (Veff) and the column capacity at exhaustion (qcolumn) were estimated for the removal of dyes by the biosorbent. Thomas and Yoon–Nelson models were applied to the experimental data to predict the “S” shaped breakthrough curves and to determine the biosorption capacity of the column. Both the models were found suitable for describing the whole dynamic behavior of the column with respect to flow rate and bed depth. Hutchins BDST model showed that the variation of the service time with the bed depth was highly linear, thus, indicating its validity when applied to the continuous microcolumn studies. The empty bed residence time model (EBRT) indicated that the biosorbent exhaustion rate decreased with increasing EBRT. The results of this study indicated the applicability of fixed-bed micro column for removing remazol reactive dyes from the textile effluent. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2017