Oxidative Decolorization of Reactive Dye Solution Using Fly Ash as Catalyst

This paper deals with the potential of coal fly ash as a heterogeneous catalyst in peroxidative decolorization of aqueous solution of several reactive drimarene dyes using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The effects of various parameters (source of fly ash, fly ash loading, temperature, pH, initial concentration of dye and hydrogen peroxide, and deactivation of catalytic effect of fly ash) were studied. The rate of decolorization is zero order with respect to concentration of dye in the range of 50-200 mg/L and first order with respect to concentration of H2O2 in the range of 375-2,500 mg/L. It was found that at 333 K and pH 2.0, only 2% (weight/volume) fly ash loading can completely decolorize 100 mg/L dye solution within 180-1,770 s for an initial H2O2 concentration of 1,500 mg/L, depending on the source of fly ash and dye used. But maximum 25% decolorization was noticed after 3 h duration of reaction without fly ash. The negligible homogeneous catalytic action of trace amount of metals like Fe, Mn, and Cu leached from the fly matrix confirmed the sole heterogeneous catalytic nature of fly ash particles in decolorization reactions. The deactivation of fly ash was found to be <30% in nine repeated uses. Adsorption dynamics and mechanism of dyes onto fly ash also were studied in the absence of H2O2.