The Optimal Concentration of Nanoclay Hydrotalcite for Recovery of Reactive and Direct Textile Colorants

Concerns about the health of the planet have grown dramatically, and the dyeing sector of the textile industry is one of the most polluting of all industries. Nanoclays can clean dyeing wastewater using their adsorption capacities. In this study, as a new finding, it was possible to analyze and quantify the amount of metal ions substituted by anionic dyes when adsorbed, and to determine the optimal amount of nanoclay to be used to adsorb all the dye. The tests demonstrated the specific amount of nanoclay that must be used and how to optimize the subsequent processes of separation and processing of the nanoclay. Hydrotalcite was used as the adsorbent material. Direct dyes were used in this research. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns allowed the shape recovery of the hydrotalcite to be checked and confirmed the adsorption of the dyes. An FTIR analysis was used to check the presence of characteristic groups of the dyes in the resulting hybrids. The thermogravimetric (TGA) tests corroborated the dye adsorption and the thermal fastness improvement. Total solar reflectance (TSR) showed increased radiation protection for UV-VIS-NIR. Through the work carried out, it has been possible to establish the maximum adsorption point of hydrotalcite.