Abstract
This study aimed to use the zinc dust which is a waste from hot-dip galvanizing plant for the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using microwave-assisted process. The precursor solution was prepared by dissolved as received zinc-dust powder in nitric acid. Then it was precipitated by NaOH at required pH and microwave irradiated in a household microwave oven at power of 100W for 10-20 min. The effects of preparation conditions and an addition amount of poly ethylene glycol (PEG; MW2000) for synthesis of ZnO on its properties were investigated. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized for their phase structure, morphology and surface area by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), respectively. The photocatalytic activity was determined by the degradation of methylene blue solution under UV irradiation. It was found that microwave heat treatment and addition of optimum amount of PEG could enhance the photocatalytic activity of precipitated ZnO particles. The resultant ZnO particles prepared by an addition of 0.25wt% PEG and microwave irradiation for 20 min exhibited the highest photodegradation rate among other products.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call