Photocatalytic Removal of Gaseous Toluene by Titanium Dioxide Coated on Nickel Foam: Influence of Relative Humidity and Toluene Concentration Publisher



Rismanchian M¹ ; Akbari J¹ ; Keshavarzi R² Show Affiliations
Source: International Journal of Environmental Health Engineering Published:2014

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this study is to determine the impact of relative humidity (RH) and contaminant concentration on photocatalytic conversion of gaseous toluene by using TiO2 coated on nickel foam. Materials and Methods: TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared by the sol-gel process and coated on nickel foam. Structural and morphological characteristics of nanoparticles were determined using Scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction analysis. Photocatalytic conversion of gaseous toluene at the different levels of RH and toluene concentration was measured under ultraviolet-A radiation by gas chromatograph with Flame Ionization Detector. Results: After being fixed the contaminant concentration, 30% level of RH had the most impact on the photocatalytic efficiency, 10, 0,5 0 and 80% levels of humidity had, in turn, the most impact. Results also showed that TiO2 nanoparticles coated on nickel foam at the concentration of 20 ppm had the most efficiency of photocatalytic conversion. After that, the most efficiency was recorded at the 10 and 50 ppm concentrations, respectively. Conclusion: Based on the results, the photocatalytic conversion of gaseous phase toluene by TiO2 coated nickel foam is increased with the increase of RH to a certain level; beyond that the conversion efficiency is decreased gradually due to the saturation of photocatalyst surface and decrease in nanoparticle activity. Furthermore, photocatalytic conversion of gaseous toluene is decreased with the increase of toluene concentration. © 2014 Rismanchian M. This is an open‑access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.