Photocatalytic Decomposition Rate of Chloroform in Dilute Aqueous Solution in a Titanium Dioxide Suspension

Abstract

The photocatalytic decomposition rate of chloroform in dilute aqueous solution was investigated in a suspension of titanium dioxide (anatase) to obtain fundamental information for the design of suspended-photocatalysts reactor.
The absolute light intensity in a suspended titanium dioxide photoreactor was determined with a DPOF the mical actinometer system which detects dispersive as well as incident light. With increase of titanium dioxide concentration the light intensity rapidly increased first and gradually decreased later. The initial decomposition rate of chloroform was affected by the incident light intensity, the titanium dioxide concentration and the initial oxygen partial pressure, and was formulated by the following equation under the experimental conditions studied :
(-γ_SO) =2.86 [P_O2] /1+0.12 [P_O2] √I_1P·C_m
where (-r_SO) is initial reaction rate ; [P_O2], partial pressure of oxygen; I_1P, absolute light intensity in the reactor ; and C_m, titanium dioxide concentration.