Use of peanut shell-based polyurethane type rigid foam in removing remazol orange RGB dye from aqueous solution

This study reflects the adsorption ability and usable of peanut shell-polyurethane type rigid foam for the removal of remazol orange RGB (RO-RGB) dye, a reactive dye, from aqueous solution. RO-RGB removal was studied for initial dye concentrations (10-150 mg l-1), pH values (3-9), and temperatures (20-60C) at various contact times. Dye removal increased with the increases in initial dye concentration and temperature while it was decreasing with an increase in pH. Maximum dye removal was determined to be about 98% under all the experimental conditions. Equilibrium data obtained were adapted to the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherm models, and it was seen that the adsorption obeyed the Freundlich isotherm model with determination of coefficient of r2 = 0.966. Kinetics data was found to be harmony with the pseudo-second kinetic order model (higher than r2 = 0.9908). As a result, it was determined that the polyurethane-type rigid foam produced from peanut shell could be used as an alternative to activated carbon and could easily be used as an adsorptive material to remove RO-RGB dye.