Factors Influencing the Photocatalytic Degradation of Reactive Yellow 145 by TiO<sub>2</sub>-Coated Non-Woven Fibers

Abstract

The photocatalytic degradation of the synthetic textile dye Reactive Yellow 145 (RY 145) in aqueous solution, using TiO2 coated non-woven fibers as photocatalyst, under UV-lamp irradiation, was studied. The effects of the operational parameters such as initial dye concentration, pH, addition of oxidant hydrogen peroxide and addition of ethanol on the reaction rate were investigated. The effect of some inorganic ions such as and , commonly present in real effluents, on the photodegradation of RY 145 was also examined. The experimental results showed that the photocatalytic degradation rate was favoured by a high concentration of solution in respect to Langmuir-Hinshelwood model. The maximum rate of complete decolorization of RY 145 was observed in the acidic medium at pH 3. The presence of and anions led to an increase of the effectiveness of the photocatalytic degradation. However, the presence of and anions decreased differently the photodegradation reaction rate. TiO2/UV process was proved to be capable of the complete degradation of the RY 145.