Evaluation of mass transfer in packed column for competitive adsorption of Tartrazine and brilliant blue FCF: A statistical analysis

Environmental pollution as the result effluents discharged by industry is increasing, principally owing to mixtures of pollutants, including dyes. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the adsorption process of the bicomponent mixture of Tartrazine (Y5) and Brilliant Blue FCF (B1) dyes in a dynamic regime (fixed-bed column), using rice husks (RH) as adsorbent material. A 3-level response surface design of experiments was employed to evaluate the adsorption process of the dyes in the mixture at the following initial concentrations: 0.0216, 0.0739, 0.1261, 0.1477 (mmol L−1). The response surface analysis of the experimental design made it possible to identify a competitive adsorption of both dyes. RH had higher affinity for B1, although the adsorption capacity changed depending on the concentration of each dye in the mixture. The highest RH adsorption capacity was 3.4 mg g−1 for B1 and 1.45 mg g−1 for Y5, respectively, under a monocomponent condition. It was considered that the interactions in the mechanism proposed for the adsorption process occurred because of the formation of hydrogen bonds between the sulfonate groups of the dyes and the –OH groups present on the surface of the adsorbent. B1 had a higher affinity towards RH because it had one more sulfonate group than Y5. The multiple-response optimization results make it possible to recommend the use of RH beds with low concentrations of B1 and Y5 in the same feed. [Display omitted] •Mixture dye adsorption was competitive, and RH had a higher affinity for B1.•The qt was disadvantaged by the antagonistic effect of the binary system compared to simple systems.•Response optimization determined that in the presence of B1 and Y5 the RH bed is more efficient.•Hydrogen bond formation mechanisms governed the adsorption process of the dyes on the packed column.