Flexible Synthesis of Bio-Hydroxyapatite/Chitosan Hydrogel Beads for Highly Efficient Orange G Dye Removal: Batch and Recirculating Fixed-Bed Column Study

Abstract

The use of fish waste as a source material for the development of functional beads has significant potential applications in the fields of materials science and environmental sustainability. In this study, a biomaterial bead of chitosan was cross-linked with bio-hydroxyapatite (Bio-Hap/Cs) through the encapsulation process to create a stable and durable material. The beads are characterized using scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction techniques. The adsorption efficiency of Bio-Hap/Cs hydrogel beads was evaluated by using Orange G (OG) dye in both batch and recirculating column systems, and the effect of various parameters on the adsorption capacity was investigated. In the batch study, it was found that OG removal increased with an increasing pH and adsorbent dose. However, in the recirculating column system, a higher bed height and lower flow rate led to increased removal of the OG dye. The kinetic study indicated that the pseudo-secondorder model provided a good description of OG adsorption onto Bio-Hap/Cs beads in both batch and recirculating processes, with a high coefficient correlation. The maximum adsorbed amounts are found to be 19.944 mg g −1 and 9.472 mg g −1 in batch and recirculating processes, respectively. Therefore, Bio-Hap/Cs hydrogel beads have demonstrated an effective and reusable material for OG dye remediation from aqueous solutions using recirculating adsorption processes.