DYE ADSORPTION USING XANTHAN GUM & LIGNIN-BASED CHEMICALLY CROSSLINKED HYDROGELS

Abstract

The present study focuses on the synthesis of Xanthan Gum (XG-g-PAAcoAM), Lignosulphonate sodium salt (LS-g-PAAcoAM), and their combination (XG/LS g-PAAcoAM) based hydrogels by grafting them onto acrylic acid and acrylamide. These hydrogels were investigated for their effectiveness in removing dyes from textile industries. The results demonstrate the reliability of the hydrogels, achieving a removal rate of over 91% when a dosage of 0.2 g was used in a 20 ml solution of Methylene blue dye over a period of 7 hours. The hydrogels have been characterized by using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Thermogravimetric Analysis, and X-ray Diffraction Analysis. The adsorption behaviour of hydrogels was analysed using three common isotherm models: Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin. The Freundlich isotherm model exhibits the highest level of fit as evidenced by the R2 value of 0.99. This study offers a comparative analysis of using these natural polymers as raw materials for hydrogel synthesis and highlights their potential as efficient adsorbents for wastewater treatment applications.