Year

2018

Degree Name

Master of Philosophy

Department

School of Chemistry

Abstract

Dyes are organic compounds produced from the dyeing and printing processes used in the textile manufacturer. Some dyes are categorized as toxic to the environment when discharged; therefore, dye removal techniques are required. MB is a dye of a low toxicity compared to the other dyes used by numerous studies as a model dye for compounds of similar structure to investigate its degradation. Heterogenous photocatalysis has been utilized for successful removal of these dyes using semiconductors as photocatalysts. Semiconductors are extensively employed for dyes removal due to promising properties in this field. Herein, titanium dioxide (TiO2 P25) and bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) have been applied as important photocatalysts to study the degradation of MB model dye. TiO2 and BiVO4 were designed in film style and left under solar simulation equipment for a given time to monitor their photocatalytic rates activity towards MB degradation. The primary focus of the current study represented by studying the effect of different factors on the film’s performance including films thickness and size, reactor volume, temperature, light intensity, and initial dye concentration to develop figure of merit. My approach for developing a figure of merit was done by varying one of the pre-mentioned factors while keeping the others constant. The outcomes of carried out investigations showed an increased degradation rate by increasing films size and thickness, temperature, and light intensity. However, increasing reactor volume indicated a decreased rate constant for MB degradation.

FoR codes (2008)

0301 ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, 030101 Analytical Spectrometry

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Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Wollongong.