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Photoelectrocatalytic humic acid degradation kinetics and effect of pH, applied potential and inorganic ions
Author(s) -
Selcuk Huseyin,
Sene Jeosadaque J,
Anderson Marc A
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of chemical technology and biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1097-4660
pISSN - 0268-2575
DOI - 10.1002/jctb.895
Subject(s) - chemistry , humic acid , degradation (telecommunications) , inorganic ions , aqueous solution , kinetics , photocatalysis , electrolyte , nuclear chemistry , reaction rate constant , dissolved organic carbon , inorganic chemistry , ion , environmental chemistry , catalysis , organic chemistry , electrode , physics , quantum mechanics , telecommunications , fertilizer , computer science
This study addresses the removal of humic acid (HA) dissolved in an aqueous medium by a photoelectrocatalytic process. UV 254 removal and the degradation of color (Vis 400 ) followed pseudo‐first order kinetics. Rate constants were 1.1 × 10 −1 min −1 , 8.3 × 10 −2 min −1 and 2.49 × 10 −2 min −1 ( R 2 > 0.97) for UV 254 degradation and 1.7 × 10 −1 min −1 , 6.5 × 10 −2 min −1 and 2.0 × 10 −2 min −1 for color removal from 5 mg dm −3 , 10 mg dm −3 and 25 mg dm −3 HA respectively. Following a 2 h irradiation time, 96% of the color, 98% of the humic acid and 85% of the total organic carbon (TOC) was removed from an initial 25 mg dm −3 HA solution in the photoanode cell. Photocatalytic removal on the same photoanode was also studied in order to compare the two methods of degradation. Results showed that the photoelectrocatalytic method was much more effective than the photocatalytic method especially at high pH values and with respect to UV 254 removal. The effect of other important reaction variables, eg pH, external potential and electrolyte concentration, on the photoelectrocatalytic HA degradation was also studied. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry