Characterization and application of MgAl layered double hydroxide for methyl orange removal from aqueous solution

Abstract Layered double hydroxide (LDH), also known as hydrotalcite or anionic clays, have attracted attention in recent years due to their applications in various fields, particularly in the water treatment sector. In this work, the MgAl layered double hydroxide was synthesized by urea method and used for the removal of methyl orange dye (MO) from aqueous solutions. The MgAl-LDH adsorbent was then characterized using different techniques such as; Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermo-gravimetric and differential thermal analyses (TGA–DTA).The effect of some environmental parameters (contact time, adsorbent mass, initial dye concentration, ionic strength) on the removal of MO has been also investigated. The adsorption kinetic of methyl orange on the surface of MgAl-LDH material was best fitted by pseudo-second-order model. The maximum experimental adsorption capacity was fond to be 197.62 mg.g−1. According to the results of this study, it can be concluded that MgAl-LDH adsorbent can be used effectively for the removal of anionic dyes from industrial wastewater.