Photocatalytic Degradation of Gaseous Formaldehyde and Benzene using TiO2 Particulate Films Prepared by the Flame Aerosol Reactor

Nano-sized $TiO_2$ particles were produced by a premixed flame aerosol reactor, and they were immobilized on a mesh-type substrate in form of particulate film. The reactor made it possible maintaining the original particulate characteristics determined in the flame synthetic process. The particulate morphology and crystalline phase were not changed until the particulate were finally coated on the substrate, which resulted in the better performance of the photocatalytic conversion of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the ultraviolet $(UV)-TiO_2$ system. In the flame aerosol reactor, the various specific surface areas and the anatase weight fractions of the synthesized particles were obtained by manipulating the parameters in the combustion process. The performance of the $TiO_2$ particulate films was evaluated for the destruction of the VOCs under the various UV irradiation conditions. The decomposition rates of benzene and formaldehyde under the irradiation of UV-C of 254 nm in wavelength were evaluated to check the performance of $TiO_2$ film layer to be applied in air quality control system.