Recycling of supported nanocomposites for hazardous industrial wastewater treatment via Solar photocatalytic process

Abstract

Study of the photocatalytic activity of the synthesized polyvinylidene fluoride/multi-walled carbon nanotubes/titanium dioxide (PVDF/x%(MWCNTs/8%TiO2) nanocomposites using a simple modified solvent casting technique in decontamination of hazardous industrial wastewater and Reactive Yellow 145 dye as an industrial organic pollutant (local textile dye) were evaluated. Also, different MWCNTs/8%TiO2 weight percentages in PVDF/x%(MWCNTs/8%TiO2) nanocomposites were prepared and evaluated. The surface morphology and the structures of the synthesized samples were characterized using SEM, ATR-FTIR, DRS, XRD, and BET. The evaluated bandgap values for MWCNTs/xTiO2 nanocomposites are from 2.38 to 2.69 based on the weight ratios (2%, 5%, and 8%). The results of the surface area of samples and the best optical behavior obtained at MWCNTs/8%TiO2 are reported and its photodegradation rate raised to 10.22x10−3S−1. The photodegradation process of Reactive Yellow 145 dye by PVDF/x%(MWCNTs/8%TiO2) nanocomposites was monitoring using chemical oxygen demand (COD). Also, the observed PL intensity for PVDF/MWCNTs/8%TiO2 has high photonic efficiency and photocatalytic activity. The solar photocatalytic process efficiency for an Egyptian dying factory by repeating it 10 times using PVDF/10%(MWCNTs/8%TiO2) nanocomposites as a supported photocatalyst for the industrial wastewater treatment was evaluated by the COD method and still under Egyptian environmental law allowed COD limit (1000 ppm).