Recycled Wool-based Nonwoven Material for Decolorisation of Dyehouse Effluents

Abstract

The aim of this study was investigate the possible application of recycled wool-based nonwoven material for removal of different dyes that are used in textile dyehouses. Basic, reactive, direct and metal complex dyes were investigated. The sorption kinetics, the influence of initial dye concentration, pH and temperature were analyzed. The sorption properties were highly influenced by type of the dye due to differences in their chemical structure and thus, the mechanism of binding to wool. Modification of material with chitosan and hydrogen peroxide improved the sorption capacities and sorption rates but no general trend could be established. Consequently, the sorption behavior had to be analyzed separately for each type of the dye studied. The results indicated that recycled wool-based nonwoven material can be used as an efficient, low-cost sorbent for decolorisation of effluents.