Solar photocatalytic treatment of industrial wastewater utilizing recycled polymeric disposals as TiO2 supports

Abstract Heavily contaminated industrial wastewater is treated using a homemade compound parabolic reactor utilizing recycled polymeric disposals as TiO2 supports. The recycled polymeric materials include cotton, cotton lycra, polyamide, paper, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, and polyurethane. The loading of TiO2 onto different support materials was investigated to identify the optimal composite. The TiO2/polyethylene terephthalate collected from Factory i (PETi) composite was selected because of its durability, strong polymer-TiO2 binding, and significant photocatalytic activity. Infrared and scanning electron microscopy characterizations confirm the strong binding and homogenous distribution of TiO2 particles over the PETi surface before and after the photocatalytic process. The solar photocatalytic treatment of the sample wastewater resulted in significant photobleaching. A significant reduction in the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and mineralization percentages of up to 42% were reported. The increased biological oxygen demand to COD ratios indicate the formation of new biodegradable species, enabling further normal biological treatment.