Three polyaniline salts (PANI-H(2)SO(4), PANI-H(3)PO(4), and PANI-HNO(3)) have been synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline. They have been tested as adsorbents for the removal of the textile dye direct blue 78 (DB78) from aqueous solution. The interaction followed pseudo-second-order kinetics whether the rate of interaction was measured from the depletion of dye concentration in solution or the increase in the amount of dye adsorbed on the PANI surface. The removal rate was a function of the activity of the polymer as well as the reaction parameters of the polymer/dye system. The activity of the PANI depended on the polymerization conditions. These conditions involve the concentration of aniline, ammonium peroxydisulfate as oxidant, and sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS), the type of dopant acid (H(2)SO(4), H(3)PO(4), HNO(3)), and the polymerization time. Higher removal rate was observed at oxidant/aniline mole ratio equals 1. The rate of removal was in the order PANI-H(3)PO(4) > PANI-H(2)SO(4) > PANI-HNO(3). The rate decreased with increasing the concentration of DB78 and pH. It increased with increasing the load of PANI. Pseudo-second-order kinetics, external surface adsorption, and intraparticle diffusion models were concurrently operating in the removal of D878 with PAM. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.