Photocatalytic treatment of organic pollutants in textile effluent using hydrothermally prepared photocatalytic composite

The hydrothermal synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles on the surface of calcium aluminosilicate beads of 0.5-1.0 mm in diameter has been carried out under mild hydrothermal conditions. The advantage of immobilisation of the TiO2 nanoparticles by coating on calcium aluminosilicate beads is the ease and efficiency to recover the photocatalyst. The experimental temperature was varied from 150 to 220 degrees C and the experimental duration was 24 h with an autogenous pressure in 1M HCl as solvent. A systematic characterisation of TiO2 coated calcium aluminosilicate beads was carried out by employing analytical techniques like X-ray powder diffraction, SEM, FTIR spectroscopy and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. The photocatalytic treatment of toxic organic pollutants in textile effluents was studied using hydrothermally prepared TiO2 coated calcium aluminosilicate beads. The photodegradation characteristics were studied under both sunlight and ultraviolet light source on the degradation of organic pollutants. Several parameters like concentration and dilution factors of effluents, light source and intensity, initial pH of medium, experimental duration and catalyst loaded into the aqueous medium of textile effluent were studied. The degradation reaction was optimised with respect to the experimental duration and catalytic loaded. The reduction in the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and %T revealed the minimisation of organic pollutants along with colour removal from the textile effluent