Abstract
The photocatalytic oxidation of free cyanide ions was carried out in aqueous aerated suspensions containing polycrystalline TiO 2 (anatase) irradiated by sunlight. The influence of the presence of an organic compound (phenol) or of a strong oxidant (H 2O 2) on the photoprocess was also studied. The dependence of cyanide photo-oxidation rate on the following parameters: (1) cyanide concentration; (2) catalyst amount; and (3) phenol concentration was investigated. At the used experimental conditions, the kinetics of cyanide photo-oxidation is independent of the initial cyanide concentration and of the catalyst amount while it is affected by the phenol concentration and by the presence of H 2O 2. The Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetic model has been used for phenomenologically describing the photoreactivity results. The reaction pathway was also investigated: cyanate, nitrite, nitrate and carbonate were found to be the main oxidation products. The mass balance of nitrogen was achieved only in strongly oxidant conditions; this insight suggests that some volatile nitrogen-containing species are formed at mild oxidation conditions.
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