Photocatalitic stripping of fixed Reactive Red X-3B dye from cotton with nano-TiO2/UV system

Abstract

A novel, green and Ecofriendly method for photocatalitic stripping of fixed Reactive Red X-3B dye on cotton substrate was developed at the first time by employing a nano-TiO2/UV system in a self-built photoreactor. The effects of photocatalitic stripping parameters such as the initial pH value of working solution, temperature and stripping duration, on color stripping efficiency and fabric tensile strength were investigated. Moreover, the photocatalitic stripping of the fixed reactive dye on cotton substrate in the nano-TiO2/UV system was further explored by Attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that the fixed Reactive Red X-3B dye on cotton could be photocatalitically stripped or decolorized efficiently by employing the nano-TiO2/UV system with a dipped stripping manner in which the substrate was immersed into working solution. The tested stripping parameters of temperature and treatment duration presented notably positive effects on the color stripping efficiency, while an inappropriate control of all the parameters could result in a deterioration of the tensile strength of the substrate. Furthermore, a heterogeneous photocatalitic color stripping mechanism was also supposed for the fixed Reactive dye molecules on cotton substrate in nano-TiO2/UV system with the dipped stripping manner.