Removal of methyl orange dye from aqueous solutions by SBA-16 nano mesopore and optimization of effective parameters using response surface method

Due to the presence of industrial pollutants in water sources, it is necessary to treat wastewater, especially colored wastewater. This study aims to treat wastewater containing methyl orange dye using nano mesopore SBA-16.

In this study, the effect of different parameters (pH, concentration of methyl orange, amount of adsorbent, temperature, and contact time) on the absorption of methyl orange by nanocomposite prepared with the help of Design of Experiment 7 software and Response Surface Method (RSM) was investigated.

The maximum amount of pollutant removal by the adsorbent was obtained under optimal conditions of pH = 4.07, temperature 50 °C, contact time 35 minutes, initial concentration of adsorbent 10 mg/L, and amount of adsorbent 0.04 g. Also, the findings showed that the absorption behavior is most consistent with the Langmuir isotherm and the absorption process is exothermic and spontaneous at low temperatures.

In optimal conditions, the SBA-16 adsorbent was able to remove 98.60 % of methyl orange from the aqueous solution and the maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) for the removal of methyl orange pollutant was 37.73 mg/g. Considering the high potential of nano mesopore SBA-16 in removing methyl orange pigment, it can be considered a suitable candidate for removing colored pollutants and treating wastewater from textile factories.