Removal Kinetic of Cationic Dye Using Poly (Sodium Acrylate)-Carrageenan/Na-Montmorillonite Nanocomposite Superabsorbents

Nanocomposite superabsorbents were prepared from solution polymerization of sodium acrylate in the presence of carrageenan biopolymer and sodium montmorillonite nanoclay. The optimum swelling of nanocomposite superabsorbents was achieved at 8 wt% of sodium montmorillonite nanoclay. Clay-free superabsorbent and nanocomposite containing 8 wt% of nanoclay were evaluated to remove cationic crystal violet dye from water. It was found that by inclusion of nanoclay into carrageenan-based superabsorbent not only the rate of dye adsorption is increased, but also the removal efficiency is enhanced by 11 %. The results indicated that the experimental data fit the Freundlich isotherm the best.