Effectiveness of a photocatalytic organic membrane for solar degradation of methylene blue pollutant

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Desalination and Water Treatment

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Effectiveness of a photocatalytic organic membrane for

solar degradation of methylene blue pollutant

Ouassila Benhabilesab_{, Hacene Mahmoudi}c_{, Hakim Lounici}ad_{& Mattheus F.A. Goosen}e

a _{URIE. Ecole Nationale Polytechnique, Alger, Algérie, Tel./Fax: +213 24 41 04 84, Tel. +213}

7 71 68 35 93

b _{Unité de Développement des Equipements Solaires, UDES/Centre de Développement des}

Energies Renouvelables, CDER, BouIsmail 42415, W. Tipaza, Algérie

c _{Faculty of Technology, University Hassiba Benbouali of Chlef, Chlef, Algeria, Tel. +213 7}

77170833; Fax: +213 27 727009

d _{Faculty of Sciences, University of Bouira, Algeria}

e _{Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tel. +966 53 2941468}

Published online: 30 Jun 2015.

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This article was downloaded by: [University of Otago] On: 19 July 2015, At: 00:37

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To cite this article: Ouassila Benhabiles, Hacene Mahmoudi, Hakim Lounici & Mattheus F.A. Goosen (2015): Effectiveness of a

photocatalytic organic membrane for solar degradation of methylene blue pollutant, Desalination and Water Treatment, DOI:

10.1080/19443994.2015.1061954

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D ow nl oa d e d by [U ni v e rs it y of O ta g o] a t 00 :37 19 Ju ly 2015

Desalination and Water Treatment

(2015) 1–10

www.deswater.com

doi: 10.1080/19443994.2015.1061954

Effectiveness of a photocatalytic organic membrane for solar degradation of

methylene blue pollutant

Ouassila Benhabiles

a,b

_{, Hacene Mahmoudi}

c,

_*

_{, Hakim Lounici}

a,d

_{, Mattheus F.A. Goosen}

e

a_{URIE. Ecole Nationale Polytechnique, Alger, Alge´rie, Tel./Fax: +213 24 41 04 84; email:}_{benhabiles.ouassila@gmail.com}

(O. Benhabiles), Tel. +213 7 71 68 35 93; email: lounicih@yahoo.fr (H. Lounici)

b_{Unite´ de De´veloppement des Equipements Solaires, UDES/Centre de De´veloppement des Energies Renouvelables, CDER, BouIsmail}

42415, W. Tipaza, Alge´rie

c_{Faculty of Technology, University Hassiba Benbouali of Chlef, Chlef, Algeria, Tel. +213 7 77170833; Fax: +213 27 727009;}

email: h.mahmoudi@univ-chlef.dz

d_{Faculty of Sciences, University of Bouira, Algeria}

e_{Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tel. +966 53 2941468; email:}_{mgoosen@alfaisa.edu}

Received 11 February 2015; Accepted 8 June 2015

AB STR A C T

The results of a feasibility study are presented on the use of a polystyrene (PS) organic membrane as a photocatalyst support in the degradation of organic pollutants in aqueous solution. Methylene blue (MB) was employed as a model dye and commercial titanium dioxide (TiO2) was used as a photocatalyst. The MB dye which is resistant to direct photolysis especially at high concentrations was successfully eliminated by TiO2 fixed on the PS membrane in aqueous dispersion under solar irradiation. Photodegradation results of MB showed that the film with 10 wt% TiO2 exhibited a remarkable ultraviolet (sun light) photocatalytic activity over 5 h, with 68% of the pollutant being degraded. This is similar to a TiO2 slurry system. The photocatalytic degradation obeyed pseudo-first-order kinetics at low initial MB concentration. The optimum pH for efficient removal of dye was found to be 11. An increase in initial dye concentration decreased the degradation rate. The applicability of Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetic equation revealed that the degradation of MB occurred mainly on the surface of the photocatalyst. The concept and results provide a promising platform for fabricating highly efficient organic photocatalytic membranes for water treatment.

Keywords: Water treatment; Organic pollutant; Methylene blue; Solar photocatalysis; Immobilized TiO2; Organic membrane

1. Introduction

Water pollution caused by organic chemicals produced from the textile, paper, plastic, leather, food, and mineral processing industries is a very serious

*Corresponding author.

problem [1,2]. This is mainly due to the presence of synthetic dyes that are resistant to bacterial degradation and conventional chemical processes. With the increasing shortage of clean water sources worldwide, the development of low-cost and efficient advanced water treatment technologies is urgently needed [1,2].

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