Removal of Pararosaniline Hydrochloride Dye (Basic Red 9) from Aqueous Solution by Electrocoagulation: Experimental,Kinetics, and Modeling

In this work, the removal of pararosaniline hydrochloride (Basic red 9) dye from aqueous solutions by electrocoagulation was investigated. The effect of parameters such as current density, initial pH, electrolysis time, inter-electrode distance, initial dye concentration and salt concentration on dye removal efficiency were investigated. The experimental results showed that 99% dye removal was observed after 30 minutes of electrolysis for an initial dye concentration of 100 mg/L, current density of 111.1 A/m² and initial pH of 7.0. It was observed that an increase in current density, time of operation and decrease in inter-electrode distance improved the dye removal efficiency. The optimum pH range for highest dye removal was 5.0–10.25. It was also observed that increase in salt concentration in the solution reduces the specific electrical energy consumption. The kinetic study inferred that the dye removal primarily follows a first order reaction. Finally, phenomenological models were proposed to illustrate the dependence of dye removal rate constant and specific electrical energy consumption on current density, inter-electrode distance, initial dye concentration and salt concentration.