Removal of an Acid Dye from Water Using Calcined and Uncalcined ZnAl-r Anionic Clay.

The present report describes the removal of indigo carmine dye from water via adsorption on ZnAl-r hydrotalcite. Two grades of clay based on Zn/Al molar ratios of 3 and 4, uncalcined and calcined, were used. The adsorbents characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), differential thermal and thermogravimetric analysis (DTA and TGA, respectively) revealed a layered structure for the hydrotalcite clays, whereas their calcination favored the formation of ZnO and ZnAl2O4 mixed metal oxides. The calcined materials immobilized much larger amounts of indigo carmine dye than the uncalcined layered double hydroxides (LDHs) specimens. The maximum adsorption capacities obey the order: CZnAl-4 (520.8 mg/g) > CZnAl-3 (358.4 mg/g) > ZnAl-3 (67.25 mg/g) > ZnAl-4 (21.65 mg/g). The adsorption isotherms are best described by Langmuir model. The sorption process is spontaneous in nature and its kinetics data are best described by a pseudo-second-order model. Adsorption tests on re-used calcined clays demonstrate its reusability after three thermal cycles.