Sains Malaysiana 52(2)(2023): 533-545

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2023-5202-16

Batch and Continuous Flow Treatment Studies of Trichloroethylene Contaminated in Water by Silver and Cerium Doped Zinc Oxide Adsorption and Photocatalysis

(Kajian Rawatan Kumpulan dan Aliran Berterusan Trikloroetilena Tercemar dalam Air oleh Perak dan Cerium Terdop Zink Oksida Penjerapan dan Fotopemangkinan)

SARTTRAWUT TULAPHOL^1,5, NURAK GRISDANURAK^2.3, FRANKLIN ANARIBA⁴, CHANTRA TONGCUMPOU⁵ & PUMMARIN KHAMDAHSAG^5,*

¹Sustainable Polymer & Innovative Composite Materials Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut’s University of Technology, Thonburi, Bangkok 10140, Thailand

²Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Thammasat School of Engineering, Thammasat University, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand

³Center of Excellence in Environmental Catalysis and Adsorption, Thammasat University, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand

⁴Engineering Product Development (EPD), Singapore University of Technology and Design, 487372, Singapore

⁵Environmental Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand

Received: 30 June 2022/Accepted: 5 December 2022

Abstract

The development of photocatalytic treatment in continuous flow systems to be more practical is challenging. This research aimed to study batch and continuous flow treatment of trichloroethylene (TCE) contaminated in water by silver and cerium doped zinc oxide (0.005Ag-0.005Ce-ZnO) visible light driven photocatalyst. This catalyst was selected to represent the green route synthesis with simplicity and ease of upscaling. The 0.005Ag-0.005Ce-ZnO powder was synthesized using sticky rice flour as a template. Mechanical coating of the 0.005Ag-0.005Ce-ZnO powder on activated alumina (Al₂O₃) beads was done to improve the appropriate packing in the fixed bed columns. Characterization of 0.005Ag-0.005Ce-ZnO showed a higher response to visible light and smaller crystallite size compared to zinc oxide synthesized with the same method. Using sticky rice starch as a template increased the uniform distribution of the elements. The photocatalytic batch test over 0.005Ag-0.005Ce-ZnO powder, 0.30 g/100 mL, could remove TCE up to 80% in 180 min. The decrease of TCE via photocatalysis compared to volatilization, adsorption, and photolysis presented the predominance of photocatalysis. Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics described that the decrease of TCE more depended on the reaction than adsorption. In addition, the TCE degradation steadily remained at 80-90% along the run of 0.005Ag-0.005Ce-ZnO@Al₂O₃ photocatalysis under visible light from both warm white lamps and sunlight in the continuous flow system. Besides photocatalysis, TCE adsorption on 0.005Ag-0.005Ce-ZnO@Al₂O₃ packed in the columns showed significant results. Our findings presented the possibility of applying the photocatalytic continuous flow system to remove TCE in industrial wastewater.

Keywords: Continuous flow system; fixed bed column; photocatalysis; visible light; zinc oxide

Abstrak

Pembangunan rawatan fotopemangkinan dalam sistem aliran berterusan untuk menjadi lebih praktikal adalah mencabar. Penyelidikan ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji kumpulan dan rawatan aliran berterusan trikloroetilena (TCE) tercemar dalam air oleh perak dan cerium terdop zink oksida (0.005Ag-0.005Ce-ZnO) pemangkinan dipacu cahaya nampak. Pemangkin ini dipilih untuk mewakili sintesis laluan hijau dengan kesederhanaan dan kemudahan peningkatan. Serbuk 0.005Ag-0.005Ce-ZnO telah disintesis menggunakan tepung beras melekit sebagai templat. Salutan mekanikal serbuk 0.005Ag-0.005Ce-ZnO pada manik alumina teraktif (Al₂O₃) telah dilakukan untuk menambah baik pembungkusan yang sesuai dalam turus lapisan tetap. Pencirian 0.005Ag-0.005Ce-ZnO menunjukkan tindak balas yang lebih tinggi kepada cahaya boleh nampak dan saiz kristal yang lebih kecil berbanding zink oksida yang disintesis dengan kaedah yang sama. Penggunaan kanji beras pulut sebagai templat meningkatkan pengagihan unsur secara seragam. Ujian kumpulan fotopemangkinan ke atas serbuk 0.005Ag-0.005Ce-ZnO, 0.30 g/100 mL boleh mengeluarkan TCE sehingga 80% dalam 180 min. Penurunan TCE melalui fotopemangkinan berbanding dengan peruapan, penjerapan dan fotolisis menunjukkan dominasi fotopemangkinan. Kinetik Langmuir-Hinshelwood menggambarkan bahawa penurunan TCE lebih bergantung kepada tindak balas daripada penjerapan. Di samping itu, kemerosotan TCE secara berterusan kekal pada 80-90% sepanjang kajian fotopemangkinan 0.005Ag-0.005Ce-ZnO@Al₂O₃ di bawah cahaya boleh nampak daripada kedua-dua lampu putih hangat dan cahaya matahari dalam sistem aliran berterusan. Selain fotopemangkinan, penjerapan TCE pada 0.005Ag-0.005Ce-ZnO@Al₂O₃ yang terpadat dalam turus menunjukkan hasil yang ketara. Penemuan kami membentangkan kemungkinan menggunakan sistem aliran berterusan fotopemangkinan untuk menyingkirkan TCE dalam air sisa industri.

Kata kunci: Cahaya boleh nampak; fotopemangkinan; sistem aliran berterusan; turus lapisan tetap; zink oksida

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^*Corresponding author; email: pummarin.k@chula.ac.th