Effects of operational parameters on decolorisation of C.I. Reactive Black 5 in UV/TiO2 system

Abstract

This study utilises a UV/TiO(2) system to decolorise C.I. Reactive Black 5 (RB5). The effects of TiO(2) dosage, pH, RB5 concentration and light power on the decolorisation efficiency using the UV/TiO(2) system were determined. IO(4)(-) was employed as an oxidant to increase the photodegradation efficiency of UV/TiO(2). The decolorisation rate constants (k) of RB5 in the UV/TiO(2) system are consistent with pseudo-first-order kinetics. The k values of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 g/l TiO(2) were 0.53, 0.52, 0.69 and 0.68 h(-1), respectively. The rate constant increases with decreasing pH from 10 to 4. The decolorisation rate approximates linear relationship with RB5 concentration, as given by k=1.05[1/RB5](0.98); it varies nonlinearly with light power, as given by k=0.178[power](0.63). The experimental results reveal that the rate of decolorisation obtained using UV/TiO(2)/IO(4)(-) exceeds that obtained using UV/TiO(2).