A STUDY OF TiO2 COATING STRUCTURE ON SURFACES OF MERANTI WOOD (SHOREA SP) AS A PHOTOCATALYST IN PEAT WATER PURIFICATION

Coating of TiO2 made on the surface of meranti wood acts as a photocatalyst which is a semiconductor that plays a role in the process of absorbing UV light to degrade humic acid in peat water. Making a thin layer of TiO2 by Soaking meranti wood that has been cut with a size of 30mm x 30mm x 2mm into aqueous solution of TiCl4 and HCl with a ratio of 1: 1 at a temperature of 80 ° C for 1 hour. Before coating the wood with TiO2 the meranti wood is first cleaned and soaked for 2 hours in 0.5 mmol / l surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS Sigma Aldrich) at a temperature of 80°C to obtain hydrophobic properties. meranti wood with a thin layer of TiO2 is used as a base on the peat water purification reactor. The analysis carried out was XRD to see TiO2 crystals formed, SEM and EDS to see TiO2 deposited on wood surfaces and wood pores. Analysis on peat water obtained a pH of 6.78 which means that the acid content in the water was mostly degraded, COD of 15 mg / l which had entered the class 2 water standard.