In this work, low-cost and readily available limestone was converted into nanolimestone chitosan and mixed with alginate powder and precipitate to form a triple nanocomposite, namely limestone-chitosan-alginate (NLS/Cs/Alg.), which was used as an adsorbent for the removal of brilliant green (BG) and Congo red (CR) dyes in aqueous solutions. The adsorption studies were conducted under varying parameters, including contact time, temperature, concentration, and pH. The NLS/Cs/Alg. was characterized by SEM, FTIR, BET, and TEM techniques. The SEM images revealed that the NLS/Cs/Alg. surface structure had interconnected pores, which could easily trap the pollutants. The BET analysis established the surface area to be 20.45 m2/g. The recorded maximum experimental adsorption capacities were 2250 and 2020 mg/g for CR and BG, respectively. The adsorption processes had a good fit to the kinetic pseudo second order, which suggests that the removal mechanism was controlled by physical adsorption. The CR and BG equilibrium data had a good fit for the Freundlich isotherm, suggesting that adsorption processes occurred on the heterogeneous surface with a multilayer formation on the NLS/Cs/Alg. at equilibrium. The enthalpy change (ΔH0) was 37.7 KJ mol-1 for CR and 8.71 KJ mol-1 for BG, while the entropy change (ΔS0) was 89.1 J K-1 mol-1 for CR and 79.1 J K-1 mol-1 BG, indicating that the adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous in nature.
Keywords: Congo red; adsorption; alginate; brilliant green; nanolimestone.