Evaluation of Loofah as a Sorbent in the Decolorization of Basic Dye Contaminated Aqueous System

Abstract

The hard fibrovascular network of the fruit of Luffa cylindrica, loofah, was used in a batch sorption system to remove methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution. The effects of pH on the sorption of MB by loofah were studied using equilibrium isotherm experiment. The Langmuir sorption capacity (q m, mg/g) of the loofah increased with increase in pH. The Freundlich isotherm models favored the prediction of the theoretical sorption capacity more than the Langmuir isotherm models. The kinetics of the sorption process was studied at varying initial MB concentrations using pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model was found to fit the experimental data for the entire sorption period with high coefficient of determination (r 2). The prospects of regenerating the loofah was studied using four different eluting solvents in batch desorption studies. The results of the batch desorption studies showed that both chemisorption and ion-exchange played prominent role in the sorption process. The elution curve obtained from the continuous desorption studies showed that the elution rate was very fast and high elution efficiency could be obtained with 0.1 M HCl as an eluting solvent. The IR analysis confirmed the presence of polar functional groups and established interactions between the MB molecules and these functional groups.

Adsorption of Brilliant Green onto Luffa Cylindrical Sponge: Equilibrium, Kinetics, and Thermodynamic Studies

“…The LFC was dehusked and the intervening tissue was removed [17] while the LFC fibers were washed with water to remove all the water soluble contaminant, until the washing became clear, and dried in the oven at 70 ∘ C for 6 h [29]. The dried LFC fibers were ground with Laboratory blender and screened through a set of sieves to obtained particles of size 100 m. …”

“…Although many adsorbents have been reported for removing some common dyes [14][15][16][17][18][19], such as methyl orange, methylene blue, Congo Red, and Brilliant Green (Figure 1), activated carbon has proven to be the most widely used adsorbent for the removal of dye but this has been restricted due to regeneration problem and high cost [20].…”

“…Various researchers utilized Luffa cylindrical in different forms to remove dyes from solution. Like Ola [30] used luffa activated carbon, Demir et al [29] used NaOH treated luffa and Oladoja et al [17] used untreated luffa to remove dyes from solution.…”

Biosorption of cationic dye from aqueous solutions onto lignocellulosic biomass (Luffa cylindrica): characterization, equilibrium, kinetic and thermodynamic studies

“…The MB desorption on the Luffa cylindrica (Fig. 15) is low for the four solvents (\10 %) at 293 K. The undesorbed MB in the biosorbate is due to the complex formation (MB-active site) of the biomass, and hence the inability of the eluting solvent to completely desorb the dye [78].…”

In-depth Analysis of the Structure and Properties of Two-variety Natural Luffa Sponge Fibers

“…The advancement in science and technology has led to luffa sponges being widely used in several fields such as pharmaceutical engineering [7,8], environmental engineering [9][10][11], biotechnology [12][13][14], and industrial products [15][16][17]. Since, luffa sponges are porous material with a high degree of lignification [18][19][20], they have a great potential for application in composite materials and fabric fibers.…”