Binary Cationic Dyes-Counter Ion Extraction by Reverse Micelles

In this study a solvent extraction method is used to investigate the succesive removal of a binary mixture of the cationic dyes Basic Yellow-2 (BY) and Basic Blue-26 (BB) from textile effluents by the anionic surfactant sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) and isoamyl alcohol as an organic solvent. The dye ions are encapsulated in the core of the reverse micelles which remain in the organic phase and are subsequently separated from the aqueous phase resulting in significant removal of dyes. The effects of different parameters such as the concentration of surfactant, dye concentration, pH, temperature, salt concentration etc. have also been studied in the present work. The removal efficiency of dyes increased with increasing surfactant concentration and decreasing dye concentration. UV-visible absorption spectra were analyzed to evaluate the state of the dyes in bulk water before and after extraction with reverse micelles. In addition, the dyes were recovered successively by backward extraction and then reused. TEM analyses were carried out to determine the size of reverse micelles and shape of the formed clusters.