Investigating the Properties of Natural Heulandite Zeolite from Qom Mines for the Removal of Methylene Blue and Methyl Orange Dyes from Aqueous Solutions

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Qom, Qom, Iran.

10.22091/jaem.2025.12148.1019

Abstract

This study evaluates the effectiveness of natural adsorbents in removing water pollutants. Natural heulandite zeolite from Qom mines was sampled, prepared, and tested for the removal of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) dyes from aqueous solutions. The zeolite was characterized using XRD, XRF, and ICP analyses, confirming its composition as Ca₁.₂₃(Al₂Si₇)O₁₈·6H₂O (or CaAl₂Si₇O₁₈·6H₂O), with heulandite as the primary component. The dye removal efficiency was measured via UV-Vis spectroscopy at wavelengths of 665.0 nm (MB) and 465.0 nm (MO). Results demonstrated removal efficiencies of 100% for MB (a cationic dye) and 43.7% for MO. The near-complete adsorption of MB suggests that heulandite zeolite is highly effective for cationic dye removal, potentially reducing energy consumption in water purification processes.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Advances in Energy and Materials Research
Volume 1, Issue 3
September 2024
Pages 13-19

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics