Heterogeneous Fenton-like decolorization of Procion Red MX-5B with iron-alginate gel beads as an effective catalyst

In the present study, iron-alginate gel beads (Fe-Alg gel beads) were synthesized by the entrapment method and subsequently, the prepared gel beads were characterized by FTIR, SEM, and EDX analysis methods. The characterization studies showed that Fe-Alg gel beads were of spherical morphology and iron was successfully entrapped in alginate. Subsequently, the synthesized Fe-Alg gel beads were used as a heterogeneous catalyst for the decolorization of a hazardous azo-dyestuff, Procion Red MX-5B (PR MX-5B), with Fenton-like decolorization. The effects of process parameters such as initial pH, H2O2 concentration, initial dye concentration and catalyst concentration on Fenton-like decolorization were investigated. For Fenton-like decolorization of PR MX-5B, the optimum process parameters were determined to be pH: 3.0, 20 mµ of H2O2 concentration, 50 mg/L of initial dye concentration, and 5.0 g/L of catalyst concentration, respectively. The reaction kinetics was well fitted to second order reaction kinetics. As a result, the synthesized gel beads have a high color removal efficiency for PR MX-5B dye from an aqueous solution.