Biopolymer Composite Beads of Calcium Alginate-Fly Ash for Efficient Adsorption of Rhodamin B Dye
Perwitasari, Heni Anggorowati, and Indriana Lestari

UPN Veteran Yogyakarta

Abstract

Wastewater from anthropogenic activities such as the textile, dyeing and finishing industries release heavy metals that cause pollution of the environment, particularly the water resources and soil One type of the dyes used in the industry is Rhodamin B. In this study, we reported the results of designing the Calcium Alginate-Fly Ash (Biopolymer Composite Beads) as well as its application as an adsorbent to reduce the amount of Rhodamin B in wastewater. Calcium Alginate-Fly Ash composite beads were obtained by mixing sodium alginate in distillate water with fly ash then drop the solution in CaCl2 solution for shaping the beads. The result of FTIR characterization showed the presence of OH functional group, symmetrical and asymmetrical carboxyl groups, mannuronic and uronic groups. These groups indicated the present of alginate. The adsorption ability test on the rhodamin B dye was performed at various change in contact time with the different mass of adsorbents (calcium alginate and calcium alginate-fly ash). The result showed that the highest reduction in rhodamin B occurred at the contact time of 150 minutes, 25 grams of calcium alginate-fly ash and 40.985 ppm of initial rhodamin B concentration. Under these conditions the calcium alginate-fly ash could adsorb up to 18.03% of rhodamin B.

Keywords: Calcium alginate, fly ash, rhodamin B, biopolymer composite beads, dye

Topic: Materials Sciences: Synthetic and Characterization