Removal of malachite green from aqueous solution using waste newspaper fiber

Abstract

Waste newspaper fiber (WNF) was separated and deinked for use as an absorbent for removal of Malachite Green (MG) from aqueous solutions. The chemical composition of the deinked waste newspaper fiber (DWNF) was analyzed, and its morphology was observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). A batch adsorption study was conducted under various adsorbent dosage, solution pH, and contact time. Kinetics and isotherms models were fitted; the thermodynamic parameters were also calculated. The results indicated that the main component in DWNF is cellulose. The SEM photographs showed that the surface became smoother and cleaner after deinking treatment. The equilibrium adsorption capacity was reached within 60 min, and the maximum adsorption capacity was around 27 mg/g. Alkaline pH (around 8) favored the adsorption process. The adsorption of MG was a spontaneous and exothermic process. It was found that the pseudo-second order kinetic equation and Langmuir adsorption isotherm model described the data of dye adsorption onto DWNF very well. The results show that DWNF is an effective absorbent for dye wastewater treatment.