Cellulose nanocrystal-reinforced keratin bioadsorbent for effective removal of dyes from aqueous solution

High-efficiency and recyclable three-dimensional bioadsorbents were prepared by incorporating cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) as reinforcements in keratin sponge matrix to remove dyes from aqueous solution. Adsorption performance of dyes by CNC-reinforced keratin bioadsorbent was improved significantly as a result of adding CNC as filler. Batch adsorption results showed that the adsorption capacities for Reactive Black 5 and Direct Red 80 by the bioadsorbent were 1201 and 1070 mg g⁻¹, respectively. The isotherms and kinetics for adsorption of both dyes on bioadsorbent followed the Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second order model, respectively. Desorption and regeneration experiments showed that the removal efficiencies of the bioadsorbent for both dyes could remain above 80% at the fifth recycling cycles. Moreover, the bioadsorbent possessed excellent packed-bed column operation performance. Those results suggested that the adsorbent could be considered as a high-performance and promising candidate for dye wastewater treatment.