Application of titanium dioxide immobilized on a cellulosic material for the photocatalytic degradation of Acid Black 24 dye in a continuous flow cascade reactor

The aim of this work is the study of the photocatalytic degradation of Acid Black 24 dye (AB24), in a continuous flow cascade reactor, using titanium dioxide (TiO2) immobilized on a cellulosic material. The results obtained demonstrated a synergistic effect of the two phenomena adsorption and photocatalysis. The effects of various parameters that affect the dye removal efficiency were investigated. The best photocatalytic degradation yield of AB24 molecules is obtained in acidic medium because of the strong attraction between the positively charged catalyst and the anionic dye molecules. The optimum times for obtaining the best yields depend on the initial concentration of the dye, the volume of the treated solution, and the feed rate of the reactor. In addition, reusing the catalytic material several times is technically possible; this can decrease the cost of treatment for a possible industrial scale application.

Automated summary

The aim of this study was to investigate the photocatalytic degradation of Acid Black 24 dye in a continuous flow cascade reactor using immobilized titanium dioxide on a cellulosic material. The results showed a synergistic effect of adsorption and photocatalysis, and various parameters affecting dye removal efficiency were examined. The best degradation yield was achieved in an acidic medium due to the strong attraction between the positively charged catalyst and the anionic dye molecules. The optimal times for achieving the best yields depended on the initial dye concentration, treated solution volume, and reactor feed rate. Additionally, the reuse of the catalytic material was technically feasible, which could reduce the cost of treatment for industrial-scale applications.