Photocatalytic degradation of wastewater polluted by methyl-tertiary-butyl-ether using titanium-dioxide and doped titanium-dioxide

Abstract

The subject of this research was utilization of concentrated solar radiation simulated with a sodium lamp SONT UV100, in lab condition, on removal of wastewater polluted by methyl-tertiary-butyl-ether (MTBE). The effects of titanium dioxide catalyst (commercial: Degussa P-25 (R) and 100% anatase, as well as sol-gel obtained titanium) on degradation of MTBE have been investigated. The processes were performed in slurry-catalyst batch circulating reactor. The photocatalytic degradation with different concentrations of TiO2 Degussa P-250 (R) catalyst: 2.5 g/L, 1 g/L and 0.50 g/L was studied. Our results showed that the MTBE degradation reached 50.80% in only 60 minutes, when 2.5 g/L of that catalyst was used. Also, the concentrated irradiation in combination with TiO2 (100% anatase) and FeCl3 caused high total degradation degree of 58.22%, for only 30 minutes. We synthesized titanium-dioxide, nanopowders doped with LaCl3 center dot 7H(2)O and FeCl3 center dot 6H(2)O, by sol-gel procedure. The highest degradation rate showed La-TiO2, for only 30 minutes and 48.60% of total degradation.