Non-linear regression analysis of the kinetics of photocatalytic degradation of phenol using immobilised mesoporous TiO2 nanoparticles on glass beads

Abstract

ABSTRACT The kinetics of photocatalytic degradation of phenol in batch re-circulated photo reactor packed with immobilised TiO2 nanoparticles on glass beads was estimated under UV light process using non-linear regression analysis. TiO2 nanoparticles are immobilised on glass beads by a simple and inexpensive method. The photocatalytic degradation of phenol using immobilised TiO2 followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. A model was established using non-linear regression analysis for first-order rate constant (k app) as a function of parameters like volumetric flow rate, phenol concentration, intensity of UV light and volume of phenol as the following expression: k app = 0.26 [v o] p [Phenol]o q [I o] r [V] s . This rate equation can be used for predicting k app for various other conditions in batch re-circulated photo reactor.