SYNERGIC DEGRADATION OF REACTIVE BRILLIANT RED X-3B USING THREE DIMENSION ELECTRODE-PHOTOCATALYTIC REACTOR

Abstract

A new reactor, three dimension electrode-photocatalytic reactor, was designed and used to investigate the photoelectrochemical degradation of reactive brilliant red X-3B (RBRX) in simulated wastewater. The reactor was characterized by a series of parameters, the current change, decolorization ratio, COD removal and degradation ratio. It was found that the three dimensional electrode-photocatalytic reactor could effectively destroy the RBRX within a reaction time of 30 min. The results also showed that the photoelectrochemical process is more efficient than the single application of electrochemical oxidation or photocatalytic degradation. The degradation reactions of RBRX conformed to pseudo first order kinetics in the three processes, and an apparent synergic effect in the increase of the photocurrent and the disappearance of RBRX was observed by combining the electrochemistry with photocatalytic process in the three dimension electrode-photocatalytic reactor.

Keywords:

• Three dimensional electrode-photocatalytic reactor
• Photoelectrochemical degradation
• COD removal
• Reactive brilliant red X-3B
• Synergic effect
• Wastewater treatment

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Financial support by NSF of China (29977030), NSF of Guangdong Province, China (990274 & 970167), R.& D. Project of EPA of Guangdong province, China (1999-14) and Univ. Key laboratory of Environ. Sci. & Tech. of Henan province.