1 research outputs found
Influence of Operational Parameters in the Heterogeneous Photo-Fenton Discoloration of Wastewaters in the Presence of an Iron-Pillared Clay
An
iron-pillared Tunisian clay (Fe-PILC) was prepared and used
as the catalyst in the heterogeneous photo-Fenton oxidation of Red
Congo and Malachite Green in aqueous solution. The catalyst Fe-PILC
was characterized by XRF, XRD, BET, and FTIR methods. This physicochemical
characterization pointed to successful iron pillaring of the clay.
The influence of several operational parameters such as the pH, H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> concentration, catalyst dosage, and initial
dye concentration was evaluated. A solution pH in the range 2.5–3,
the addition of 8 mL of 200 mg/L H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>, and a
catalyst dosage of 0.3 g/L appeared as the most favorable reaction
conditions for achieving complete discoloration, either for Red Congo
or Malachite Green, although oxidation was found to be slower and
more complicated in the former case. The kinetics of discoloration
of both dyes followed a pseudo-first-order rate law. In general, 20
min of UV irradiation was enough to achieve 100% discoloration of
the aqueous solution. UV–vis and chemical oxygen demand measurements
indicated, however, that longer reaction times of around 1 h were
required for achieving dye mineralization. Leaching tests confirmed
a very low amount of dissolved iron and good stability of the catalyst,
with almost unaltered discoloration efficiency upon three cycles.
Hence, taking into account the favorable photocatalytic properties
and low leaching of iron ions, such iron-pillared clay can be considered
a promising catalyst for dye wastewater treatment