Evaluation of Guar Gum As a Novel Adsorbent Philicia Geiser
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Air Force Institute of Technology AFIT Scholar Theses and Dissertations Student Graduate Works 3-21-2019 Evaluation of Guar Gum as a Novel Adsorbent Philicia Geiser Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.afit.edu/etd Part of the Biology and Biomimetic Materials Commons Recommended Citation Geiser, Philicia, "Evaluation of Guar Gum as a Novel Adsorbent" (2019). Theses and Dissertations. 2334. https://scholar.afit.edu/etd/2334 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Graduate Works at AFIT Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of AFIT Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EVALUATION OF GUAR GUM AS A NOVEL ADSORBENT THESIS Philicia Geiser, Captain, USAF AFIT-ENV-MS-19-M-174 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE AIR UNIVERSITY AIR FORCE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED. The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Air Force, Department of Defense, or the United States Government. This material is declared a work of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. AFIT-ENV-MS-19-M-174 EVALUATION OF GUAR GUM AS A NOVEL ADSORBENT THESIS Presented to the Faculty Department of Systems Engineering and Management Graduate School of Engineering and Management Air Force Institute of Technology Air University Air Education and Training Command In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Environmental Engineering and Science Degree of Master of Science in Industrial Hygiene Philicia Geiser, BS Captain, USAF March 2019 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED. AFIT-ENV-MS-19-M-174 EVALUATION OF GUAR GUM AS A NOVEL ADSORBENT Philicia Geiser, BS Captain, USAF Committee Membership: Lt Col J. E. Stubbs, PhD Chair Dr. D. L. Felker, PhD Member Dr. J. M. Slagley, PhD Member AFIT-ENV-MS-19-M-174 Abstract Guar gum (GG) is a promising product increasingly used in a variety of industries. It is nontoxic, inexpensive, and biodegradable. This research evaluated novel approaches using GG as an adsorbent for aromatic organic water contaminants. The application of GG demonstrated some effectiveness against all contaminants tested. Two brands of GG were tested using 5 different GG treatment strategies. Various experiments demonstrated nearly complete removal of Allura Red dye, Brilliant Blue dye, Erythrosine B dye, Methylene Blue dye, Tartrazine dye, and 2,4-dinitrotoluene; additionally, 78% adsorption was observed for Fast Green dye. GG typically removed less than 10% of toluene, which rapidly volatilizes. The application of pre-hydrated GG significantly outperformed other GG treatment techniques evaluated, and in some instances demonstrated faster adsorption than an equivalent amount of granular activated carbon. Comparatively, the use of dry GG powder required over 1 week to demonstrate appreciable results; methods of GG cleaning, crosslinking, and salification were possible, but did not appear to be substantially better than the results of using the unmodified gum. When dissolved in water, GG has unique spectrum characteristics at wavelengths below 300 nm, likely due to electronic transitions, which vary based on the quantity, age, and brand of GG used. Furthermore, adsorption performance may be correlated with pH; GG usage results in solution pH decrease over time, possibly caused by the production of a member of the carboxylic acid family. Based on these results, GG has proven to be a viable novel adsorbent product for stable non-volatile organic compounds. iv Acknowledgments I have been incredibly fortunate throughout my time at AFIT and within the Air Force, and I am sincerely grateful to the countless number of individuals who have helped and encouraged me. I would like to thank my thesis advisor Lt Col Stubbs, and committee members Dr. Felker, and Dr. Slagley for their tireless guidance, mentorship, and commitment to my success. I would also like to acknowledge the contributions of members from the Cincinnati EPA, especially Dr. Magnuson and Dr. Mills. Additionally, faculty and staff within the Graduate School of Engineering and Management Environmental Engineering and Industrial Hygiene programs, and the supporting agencies throughout AFIT have been invaluable; thank you for the unwavering dedication to the students and the AFIT mission. To my peers, thank you for keeping everything in perspective and saving my sanity. Most importantly, thank you to my wonderful family and husband, Gregory for the endless love and support. Words cannot describe the positive impact you have made, and any success I have should be attributed to the amazing people I have been lucky enough to have in my life. I truly appreciate it --- Thank you all! Philicia Geiser v Table of Contents Page Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ vi List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. viii List of Tables .................................................................................................................................... x I. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1 General Issue ............................................................................................................................ 1 Problem Statement ................................................................................................................... 2 Research Objectives/Questions/Hypotheses ............................................................................ 2 Research Focus ......................................................................................................................... 4 Investigative Questions ............................................................................................................ 4 Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 5 Assumptions/Limitations.......................................................................................................... 5 Implications .............................................................................................................................. 6 II. Literature Review ........................................................................................................................ 7 Chapter Overview .................................................................................................................... 7 Water Treatment Overview ...................................................................................................... 7 Guar Gum, Chemical Properties .............................................................................................. 8 Relevant Research .................................................................................................................. 11 Water Contaminants of Interest .............................................................................................. 21 Summary ................................................................................................................................ 24 III. Methodology ........................................................................................................................... 25 Chapter Overview .................................................................................................................. 25 Materials and Equipment Used .............................................................................................. 25 Types of Guar Gum Application ............................................................................................ 29 Analysis Methodology ........................................................................................................... 40 Summary ................................................................................................................................ 42 IV. Analysis and Results ............................................................................................................... 43 Chapter Overview .................................................................................................................. 43 Allura Red Results ................................................................................................................. 56 Brilliant Blue Results ............................................................................................................. 69 Erythrosine B Results ............................................................................................................. 80 Fast Green Results .................................................................................................................. 84 vi Tartrazine Results ..................................................................................................................