Photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in petroleum refinery using TiO2/UV and ZnO/UV by batch and continuous process.

Authors

  • Ridhaa M. Mohammed and Khalid M. Mousa Al-zobai

Abstract

A real refinery waste water, which contains a spread of aromatic and  aliphatic organic mixtures, was treated utilizing nano particles (Titanium dioxide and Zinc oxide). In this study UV radiation was used to find the efficiency of removal of oil contaminants in wastewater produced from refinery processes  by the advanced oxidation process (AOP) using (TiO2/UV), (ZnO/UV) by batch and continuous experiments. The solution pH, TiO2 concentration (nanoparticle), ZnO concentration (nanoparticle) and the time of the process were studied. Optimal of suspended catalyst concentration (TiO2 and ZnO) , solution  pH for TiO2 and ZnO,  were gained at quantities about 100 mg·l?1,  pH of 6 , 3 , respectively. Under these conditions, a degradation efficiency of the organic pollutants was (98.57%) when using TiO2  and it was (89.482%) when using ZnO for batch experiments . For the continous experiment , the degradation efficiency decrease when increase the flowrate , the maximmm removal was (83.09%) for the process (TiO2/UV) at 20 ml/min and it was (80.8%) for the process (ZnO/UV) at 20 ml/min. Generally, Titanuim dioxide  meaningfully through its high capability of adsorbing oils and organic compounds from refinery wastewater, in addition, decreases the economic cost of wastewater treatments. The kinetics of organic degradation follows pseudo-first and second order. The results of kinetics model showed that the value of  K constant for TiO2(100 ppm) is 0.0134  for first order and 0.0071 for second order , and the value of K constant for ZnO(100ppm) is 0.0067 for first order and 0.0009 for second order . The value of rate constants (k) of  pH experiments for Titanium dioxide is ( 0.0134) for first order and (0.0071) for second order ,and the value of k constants of PH experiments for Zinc Oxide is (0.0084)for first order and (0.0016)for second order.

Published

2020-11-01

Issue

Section

Articles