Central composite design optimization of Rhodamine B Degradation using TiO2 nanoparticles/UV/PVDF process in continuous submerged membrane photoreactor

Publication date: Available online 2 March 2017 Source:Chemical Engineering and Processing: Process Intensification Author(s): Vahid Vatanpour, Asma Karami, Mohsen Sheydaei In this paper, efficiency of a hybrid system combining UV/TiO2 nanoparticles and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane in a continuous pilot-scale submerged membrane photocatalysis reactor (SMPR) was investigated to degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB). The PVDF microfiltration membrane has potential to separate TiO2 nanoparticles from the treated wastewater. Effects of different operational parameters such as TiO2 dosages, UV light intensity, solution pH and polluted water flux in treatment reactor, which affect the performance of the photoreactor were evaluated. For the setup of the experimental design, a central composite design (CCD) matrix of the statistical response surface methodology (RSM) was used. The results indicated that the TiO2 photocatalyst at 0.1g/L, 3 UV-C lamps, polluted water flux of 100L/h.m2 and pH of 8 were the optimum conditions for the removal of the RhB. Under the optimum conditions, 95.0% degradation was experimentally obtained. Graphical abstract
Source: Chemical Engineering and Processing: Process Intensification - Category: Chemistry Source Type: research