PHOTOCATALYTIC DEGRADATION OF WATER-ORGANIC POLLUTANTS - KINETIC MODELING AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Photocatalytic conversion of a model pollutant (methylene blue) is stu died in a novel Photo-CREC reactor unit. The experiments developed all ow us to investigate the suitability of an heterogeneous reaction mode l which accounts for the concentrations of the model pollutant both in the bulk and on the mesh-TiO2. In addition, a photochemical-thermo dy namic efficiency factor (PTEF) is further examined, with the help of t he enthalpy of (OH)-O-. formation from water and oxygen and based on t he analysis in the light energy absorbed by the mesh. The resulting PT EF is a dimensionless parameter and has to be calculated at high enoug h model pollutant concentrations, that is, at conditions where zero-or der reactions prevail. The PTEF values found in the Photo-CREC unit wi th the incorporated recent technical improvements are in the 0.0182 le vel, and this represents quantum yields of 6.31% of the so-called idea l efficiency.