Performance evaluation of a continuous flow Photo-Impinging Streams Cyclone Reactor for phenol degradation

Photocatalytic Study of Cyanide Oxidation Using Titanium Dioxide (TiO2)-Activated Carbon Composites in a Continuous Flow Photo-Reactor

The photocatalytic oxidation of cyanide by titanium dioxide (TiO2) supported on activated carbon (AC) was evaluated in a continuous flow UV photo-reactor. The continuous photo-reactor was made of glass and covered with a wood box to isolate the fluid of external conditions. The TiO2-AC synthesized by the impregnation of TiO2 on granular AC composites was characterized by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. Photocatalytic and adsorption tests were conducted separately and simultaneously. The results showed that 97% of CN− was degraded within 24 h due to combined photocatalytic oxidation and adsorption. To estimate the contribution of only adsorption, two-stage tests were performed. First, 74% cyanide ion degradation was reached in 24 h under dark conditions. This result was attributed to CN− adsorption and oxidation due to the generation of H2O2 on the surface of AC. Then, 99% degradation of cyanide ion was obtained through photocatalysis during 24 h. These results showed that photocatalysis and the continuous photo-reactor’s design enhanced the photocatalytic cyanide oxidation performance compared to an agitated batch system. Therefore, the use of TiO2-AC composites in a continuous flow photo-reactor is a promising process for the photocatalytic degradation of cyanide in aqueous solutions.

Photocatalytic treatment of petroleum industry wastewater using recirculating annular reactor: comparison of experimental and modeling

In this study, the treatment of petroleum wastewater has been investigated by applying heterogeneous photocatalytic process using a recirculating annual reactor. An attempt has been made to study the effect of operating parameters such as TiO₂ load, initial concentration of the pollutant, emitted photonic flux, and pH of the solution. The degradation efficiency of toluene and benzene, as target molecules, was studied. In fact, result showed that the toluene is better degraded alone than when it is in a mixture. The rate of elimination of toluene separately was 89.5%, while it was 76.19 and 79.55% in the binary (toluene/benzene) and the ternary mixtures (toluene/benzene/xylene), respectively. Moreover, the mineralization of the solution decreased more rapidly when toluene was pure with a rate of 83.13% compared to binary and ternary mixtures. A mathematical model is proposed taking into account the parameters influencing the process performances. The mass transfer step, the degradation, and the mineralization kinetics of the pollutants were defined as model parameters. To build the model, mass balances are written in bulk region and catalyst phase (solid phase). The degradation mechanism on solid phase is divided in two stages. Firstly, the removal of toluene gives an equivalent intermediate (EI). Secondly, EI is oxidized into carbon dioxide (CO₂). This approach gives a good agreement between modeling and empirical data in terms of degradation and mineralization. It also allows for the simulation of toluene kinetics without knowing the plausible chemical pathway. A satisfactory fit with experimental data was obtained for the degradation and mineralization of toluene.

Photodegradation applied to the treatment of phenol and derived substances catalyzed by TiO2/BiPO4 and biological toxicity analysis

For this work, a phenol solution model was treated by an advanced oxidation process (AOPs), using the heterogeneous catalyst TiO₂/BiPO₄ and hydrogen peroxide combined with UVA for 240 min. An annular reactor containing a UVA lamp (80 W) was employed. A central composite rotacional design was developed employing a TiO₂/BiPO₄ concentration of 87 mg L^-1 and a hydrogen peroxide concentration of 1800 mg L^-1, being evaluated by the degradation percentage and phenol mineralization percentage as responses; 94.30 and 67.00 % were obtained for the phenol degradation and total organic carbon (TOC) conversion, respectively. The lumped kinetic model (LKM) was applied and a satisfactory profile of the residual fractions of the organic compounds present in the liquid phase as a time function with a determination coefficient (R ² = 0.9945). The toxicity tests employing microbiological species indicated that the organisms tested for the evaluation of the toxic compounds present in the contaminated samples presented a practical low cost test, rapid execution, and high sensibility as an indicator of the presence of toxic substances in liquid effluents.

Emerging trends in photodegradation of petrochemical wastes: a review

Various human activities like mining and extraction of mineral oils have been used for the modernization of society and well-beings. However, the by-products such as petrochemical wastes generated from such industries are carcinogenic and toxic, which had increased environmental pollution and risks to human health several folds. Various methods such as physical, chemical and biological methods have been used to degrade these pollutants from wastewater. Advance oxidation processes (AOPs) are evolving techniques for efficient sequestration of chemically stable and less biodegradable organic pollutants. In the present review, photocatalytic degradation of petrochemical wastes containing monoaromatic and poly-aromatic hydrocarbons has been studied using various heterogeneous photocatalysts (such as TiO₂, ZnO and CdS. The present article seeks to offer a scientific and technical overview of the current trend in the use of the photocatalyst for remediation and degradation of petrochemical waste depending upon the recent advances in photodegradation of petrochemical research using bibliometric analysis. We further outlined the effect of various heterogeneous catalysts and their ecotoxicity, various degradation pathways of petrochemical wastes, the key regulatory parameters and the reactors used. A critical analysis of the available literature revealed that TiO₂ is widely reported in the degradation processes along with other semiconductors/nanomaterials in visible and UV light irradiation. Further, various degradation studies have been carried out at laboratory scale in the presence of UV light. However, further elaborative research is needed for successful application of the laboratory scale techniques to pilot-scale operation and to develop environmental friendly catalysts which support the sustainable treatment technology with the "zero concept" of industrial wastewater. Nevertheless, there is a need to develop more effective methods which consume less energy and are more efficient in pilot scale for the demineralization of pollutant.

Evaluation and modeling of a newly designed impinging stream photoreactor equipped with a TiO2 coated fiberglass cloth

The photocatalytic degradation of p-nitrophenol (PNP) using TiO₂ particles immobilized on a fiberglass cloth was investigated in a novel design of a photo-impinging stream reactor.

Performance evaluation of a continuous flow photocatalytic reactor for wastewater treatment

A novel photocatalytic reactor for wastewater treatment was designed and constructed. The main part of the reactor was an aluminum tube in which 12 stainless steel circular baffles and four quartz tube were placed inside of the reactor like shell and tube heat exchangers. Four UV-C lamps were housed within the space of the quartz tubes. Surface of the baffles was coated with TiO2. A simple method was employed for TiO2 immobilization, while the characterization of the supported photocatalyst was based on the results obtained through performing some common analytical methods such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and BET. Phenol was selected as a model pollutant. A solution of a known initial concentration (20, 60, and 100 ppmv) was introduced to the reactor. The reactor also has a recycle flow to make turbulent flow inside of the reactor. The selected recycle flow rate was 7 × 10(-5) m(3).s(-1), while the flow rate of feed was 2.53 × 10(-7), 7.56 × 10(-7), and 1.26 × 10(-6) m(3).s(-1), respectively. To evaluate performance of the reactor, response surface methodology was employed. A four-factor three-level Box-Behnken design was developed to evaluate the reactor performance for degradation of phenol. Effects of phenol inlet concentration (20-100 ppmv), pH (3-9), liquid flow rate (2.53 × 10(-7)-1.26 × 10(-6) m(3).s(-1)), and TiO2 loading (8.8-17.6 g.m(-2)) were analyzed with this method. The adjusted R (2) value (0.9936) was in close agreement with that of corresponding R (2) value (0.9961). The maximum predicted degradation of phenol was 75.50 % at the optimum processing conditions (initial phenol concentration of 20 ppmv, pH ∼ 6.41, and flow rate of 2.53 × 10(-7) m(3).s(-1) and catalyst loading of 17.6 g.m(-2)). Experimental degradation of phenol determined at the optimum conditions was 73.7 %. XRD patterns and SEM images at the optimum conditions revealed that crystal size is approximately 25 nm and TiO2 nanoparticles with visible agglomerates distribute densely and uniformly over the surface of stainless steel substrate. BET specific surface area of immobilized TiO2 was 47.2 and 45.8 m(2) g(-1) before and after the experiments, respectively. Reduction in TOC content, after steady state condition, showed that maximum phenol decomposition occurred at neutral condition (pH ∼ 6).