Trimellitated sugarcane bagasse: A versatile adsorbent for removal of cationic dyes from aqueous solution. Part II: Batch and continuous adsorption in a bicomponent system.

In the second part of this series of studies, the bicomponent adsorption of safranin-T (ST) and auramine-O (AO) on trimellitated sugarcane bagasse (STA) was evaluated using equimolar dye aqueous solutions at two pH values. Bicomponent batch adsorption was investigated as a function of contact time, solution pH and initial concentration of dyes. Bicomponent kinetic data were fitted by the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models and the competitive model of Corsel. Bicomponent equilibrium data were fitted by the real adsorbed solution theory model. The antagonistic interactions between ST and AO in the adsorption systems studied contributed to obtain values of maximum adsorption capacity in mono- (Qmax,mono) and bicomponent (Qmax,multi) lower than unity (Qmax,multi/Qmax,mono at pH 4.5 for ST of 0.75 and AO of 0.37 and at pH 7 for ST of 0.94 and AO of 0.43). Mono- and bicomponent adsorption of dyes in a fixed-bed column was evaluated at pH 4.5. The breakthrough curves were fitted by the Thomas and Bohart-Adams original models. Desorption of ST in a fixed-bed column was studied. The results obtained from the bicomponent batch and continuous adsorption showed that the presence of ST most affected the AO adsorption than the presence of AO affected the ST adsorption.