Photocatalytic properties of ceramics TiO2 nanocomposites from waste resources

Abstract

Ceramics TiO2 nanocomposites were prepared by using titanium oxide (TiO2) nanoparticles, fly ash from the thermal powerplant and the mixed waste glass powder. We applied a mechanical milling method and thermal reaction in this process. Thephotocatalytic activities were estimated for methyl orange (MO), acetaldehyde (ATA), 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D),and methylene blue (MB) as photodegradation targets. Crystallinity, morphological properties, and chemical compositions forprepared ceramics TiO2 nanocomposites were also observed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electronmicroscopy (FE-SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS). In addition, density, compressive strength, bendingstrength and chemical durability were measured to characterize the physicochemical properties of TiO2 nanoparticle contents (0-20 wt%). It was verified that addition of TiO2 nanoparticles considerably improves the physicochemical properties of theprepared nanocomposites samples. With increased TiO2 nanoparticle content, the photocatalytic activities of the ceramics TiO2nanocomposites for photodegradation target materials increased under UV light irradiation. The degree of photocatalyticdegradation of MO, ATA, 2,4-D, and MB in the ceramics TiO2 nanocomposites improved to about 0.264, 0.141, 0.302, and 0.368,respectively, after the UV irradiation for 240 min when 20 wt% TiO2 nanoparticle was added. In addition, the photocatalyticdegradation rate of photodegradation target materials was evaluated using the pseudo-first-order kinetics proposed by Lagergren.