Competitive Adsorption of Basic Dyes onto Calcite in Single and Binary Component Systems

Abstract

Equilibrium and kinetic behavior of two basic dyes, Methylene Blue (MB) and Safranine T (ST), onto calcite in single and binary component systems have been studied. Experimental equilibrium results have been well predicted by the Freundlich and the Langmuir isotherm models. The model parameters obtained for single solute systems at 298 K have been used for the calculation of adsorption isotherms in binary dye solutions using multi-component isotherm models. Extended Freundlich and extended Langmuir models satisfactorily fit to MB–ST adsorption in binary solutions. A site distribution function which gives information about the affinity of adsorption sites for competing species in a binary system has been mathematically calculated by using Freundlich isotherm parameters. Time-dependent results for single and binary dye solutions have been analyzed according to the Vermeulen and McKay models based on homogeneous and heterogeneous diffusion processes, respectively. Thermodynamic functions for the transition state have been evaluated from the temperature dependence of diffusion coefficients using the Eyring equation.