[Mechanism and kinetics of phenol degradation by TiO2 photocatalytic combined technologies].

The combination H2O2, or electrical catalytic (EC) system with TiO2 photbcatalytic system for phenol degradation was investigated. The catalytic systems of TiO2/UV, H2O2/UV, TiO2/UV/H2O2 and TiO2/UV/EC were compared to investigate the phenol degradation mechanism and kinetic model. The degradation of phenol in TiO2/UV/H2O2 and TiO2/UV/EC system is more effective than that in TiO2/UV system. With the solution pH of 6, TiO, concentration of 0.2 g.L-1, UV illumination of 2 h, the photocatalysis removal efficiency of phenol reaches to 86%, if the current density of 12 mA.cm-2 is added, the removal efficiency of phenol could reach to 100%. The energy utilization in different catalytic systems was also compared. When phenol is degraded in 15 min, in TiO2/UV/EC system the energy utilization is the highest of 0.0306 g.(kW. h)-1 with the energy consumption of 0.0640 kW.h-1. It indicates that much more energy is used in TiO2/UV/EC system for phenol degradation. During the analysis of intermediate products in different catalysis systems, the first-order kinetic model of phenol degradation and intermediate products such as hydroquinone, catechol and benzoquinone formation were established. The kinetic model is validated the phenol degradation pathway in different catalysis systems, and also indicates the TiO2/UV/EC system could enhance phenol and intermediate products degradation.

Dechlorination by combined electrochemical reduction and oxidation.

Chlorophenols are typical priority pollutants listed by USEPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). The removal of chlorophenol could be carried out by a combination of electrochemical reduction and oxidation method. Results showed that it was feasible to degrade contaminants containing chlorine atoms by electrochemical reduction to form phenol, which was further degraded on the anode by electrochemical oxidation. Chlorophenol removal rate was more than 90% by the combined electrochemical reduction and oxidation at current of 6 mA and pH 6. The hydrogen atom is a powerful reducing agent that reductively dechlorinates chlorophenols. The instantaneous current efficiency was calculated and the results indicated that cathodic reduction was the main contributor to the degradation of chlorophenol.

Degradation of chlorophenol by in-situ electrochemically generated oxidant.

A novel in-situ electrochemical oxidation method was applied to the degradation of wastewater containing chlorophenol. Under oxygen sparging, the strong oxidant, hydrogen dioxide, could be in-situ generated through the reduction of oxygen on the surface of the cathode. The removal rate of chlorophenol could be increased 149% when oxygen was induced in the electrochemical cell. The promotion factor was estimated to be about 82.63% according to the pseudo-first-order reaction rate constant (min(-1)). Important operating parameters such as current density, sparged oxygen rate investigated. Higher sparged oxygen rate could improve the degradation of chlorophenol. To make full use of oxygen, however, sparged oxygen rate of 0.05 m(3)/h was adopted in this work. Oxidation-reduction potential could remarkably affect the generation of hydrogen peroxide. It was found that the removal rate of chlorophenol was not in direct proportion to the applied current density. The optimum current density was 3.5 mA/cm(2) when initial chlorophenol concentration was 100 mg/L and sparged oxygen rate was 0.05 m(3)/h.