Download or read book Aspects of the Heterogeneous Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants in Water written by Laurence Timothy Hogg and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 151 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The photo-activity and specific surface area of a number of potentially-useful photocatalysts has been determined using the liquid phase dehydrogenation of propan-2-ol (activity), and the adsorption of argon gas at 77K (surface area). Degussa P25 titanium dioxide was considered the most active solid on this basis (activity=l23_+5xl0-4mol.g-1h-1, SA 39_+3 m2g-1). The photo-activity of suspended solids was found to be dependent upon the anatase:rutile ratio and the catalyst concentration, but relatively independent of the surface area for structurally different specimens. This has been explained in terms of the absorbance of band-gap radiation by the solid as a function of suspended particulate mass. Experimental evidence regarding the rate of propan-2-ol photo-oxidation under oxygen-purged conditions compared to the observed rate under air, suggests a rate dependence upon the partial pressure of oxygen of P02 1/2 The total photocatalytic mineralisation of aqueous 2-chlorophenol mediated by Degussa P25 TiO2 has been achieved in approximately 5 hours (c0 2CP = 5x10-4M), with an initial zero order rate constant of 1.7x10-4mol.g-1h-1. (6h irradiation period). The kinetics of the reaction are shown to be loosely expressed by the Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model, but complex kinetics were in evidence under conditions of partial mineralisation, which may be dictated by the solution pH and/or the concentration of intermediate degradation products. A mechanism for the photo-oxidation reaction has also been proposed, based upon experimental evidence involving measurements of pH, conductance, carbon dioxide evolution and GCMS studies, which suggests a complex reaction pathway. The photocatalytic mineralisation of a saturated solution of gamma - hexachlorocyclohexane (Lindane, 7ppm), has been achieved in approximately 2 hours by this method and the mechanistic and kinetic details of this reaction are discussed briefly.