Gelation of Textile Dye Solution Treated with Fish Scales

In the present article, the commercial value of fish scales (FS), one of the most discarded fish wastes, has been identified by discovering their gelation capability. Fish scales of different physical forms were applied for the removal of dyes (acid red 1 (AR1), acid blue 45 (AB45), and acid yellow 127 (AY127)) from textile dye solution by absorption process. An astounding phenomenon, gelation of the treated solution, was noticed when it was aged for a certain period. The absorption of dye by FS was confirmed and quantified by FT-IR and UV-visible spectroscopy analyses, respectively. Process optimization revealed that pristine FS showed better gelation efficacy compared to pulverized FS. The gelation process was successful only when the dye solution contained acid and salt. As most of the textile effluents contain acids and salts in the discarded dye solution, this gelation process implies an obvious indication of the saving process and chemical cost in textile waste treatment. The jellified wastewater was characterized by exploring the rheological properties. Based on these analyses, potential application areas have been discussed.