• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.927-932
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• 2009

Toxic and recalcitrant organic pollutants in wastewaters can be effectively treated when advanced oxidation and biodegradation are combined, ideally with intimate coupling, in which both processes occur simultaneously in the same system. One means to achieve intimate coupling is to coat nanoscale $TiO_2$ on the outside of macroporous biofilm carriers. This study investigated the kinetics of photocatalysis with $TiO_2$-coated porous carriers. The carriers were made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and coated with $TiO_2$ using a low-temperature sol-gel process. The $TiO_2$-coated carriers catalyzed the oxidation of methylene blue (MB) effectively under irradiation of UV light. The overall reaction rate with adsorption and photolysis saturated at high MB concentration, and approached the adsorption rate, which was first order for all MB concent rations. This result indicates that adsorbed MB may have slowed photocatalysis by blocking active sites for photocatalysis. The overall kinetics could be described by a quasi-Langmuir model. The estimated maximum specific (per unit mass of $TiO_2$) transformation rate of MB by the $TiO_2$-coated carriers was four times larger than that obtained from slurry-$TiO_2$ reactors. This observation demonstrated that the $TiO_2$ present as a coating on the carriers maintained high efficiency for transforming recalcitrant organic matter via photocatalysis. These findings serve as a foundation for advancement of an intimate coupling of photocatalysis to biodegradation.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2021

TiO2 has been used in various fields such as solar cells, dental implants, and photocatalysis, because it has high physical and chemical stability and is harmless to the body. TiO2 nanofibers which have a large specific surface area also show a good reactivity in bio-friendly products and excellent photocatalysis in air and water purification. To fabricate TiO2 nanofibers, an electrospinning method was used. To observe the diameter of TiO2 nanofibers with fabrication variables, the fabrication variables was divided into precursor composition variables and process variables and microstructure was analyzed. The concentrations of PVP (Polyvinylpyrrolidone) and TTIP (Titanium(IV) isopropoxide) were selected as precursor composition variables, and inflow velocity and voltage were also selected as process variables. Microstructure and crystal structure of TiO2 nanofibers were analyzed using FE-SEM (Field emission scanning electron microscope) and XRD (X-ray diffraction), respectively. As-spun TiO2 nanofibers with an average diameter of about 0.27 ㎛ to 1.31 ㎛ were transformed to anatase TiO2 nanofibers with an average diameter of about 0.22 ㎛ to 0.78 ㎛ after heat treatment of 3 hours at 450℃. Anatase TiO2 nanofibers with an average diameter of 0.22 ㎛ can be expected to improve the photocatalytic properties by increasing the specific surface area. To change the average diameter of TiO2 nanofibers, the control of precursor composition variables such as concentrations of PVP and TTIP is more efficient than the control of electrospinning process variables such as inflow velocity and voltage.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.31 no.2A
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• pp.129-136
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• 2011

Recently studies on functional concrete with a photocatalytic material such as $TiO_2$ have actively been carried out in order to remove air pollutants. The absorbtion of $TiO_2$ from those studies is applied by it being directly mixed into concrete or by suspension coated on the surface. When it comes to the effectiveness, the former process is less than that of the latter compared with the $TiO_2$ use. As a result, the direct coating of $TiO_2$ on materials' surface is more used for effectiveness. The Surface spread of it needs to have a more than $400^{\circ}C$ heat treat done to stimulate the activation and adhesion of photocatalysis. Heat treat consequently leads hydration products in concrete to be dehydrated and shrunk and is the cause of cracking. The study produces $TiO_2$ used Sol-gel method which enables it to be coated with a low temperature treat, applies it to pearlite using Lightweight Aggregate Concrete fixed with a low temperature treat and evaluates the spread performance of it. In addition to this, the size of pearlite is divided into two types: One is 2.5 mm to 5.0 mm and the other is more than 5.0 mm for the benefit of finding out the removal characteristics of $CH_3CHO$ whether they are affected by pearlite size, mixing method and ratio with $TiO_2$ and elapsed time. The result of this experiment shows that although $TiO_2$ produced by Sol-gel method is treated with 120 temperature, it maintains a high spread rate on the XRF(X ray Florescence) quantitative analysis which ranks $TiO_2$ 38 percent, $SiO_2$ 29 percent and CaO 18 percent. In the size of perlite from 2.5 mm to 5.0 mm, the removal characteristic of $CH_3CHO$ from a low temperature heated Lightweight concrete appears 20 percent higher when $TiO_2$ with Sol-gel method is spreaded on the 7 percent of surface. In other words, the removal rate is 94 percent compared with the 72 percent where $TiO_2$ is mixed in 10 percent surface. In more than 5.0 mm sized perlite, the removal rate of $CH_3CHO$, when $TiO_2$ is mixed with 10 percent, is 69 percent, which is similar with that of the previous case. It suggests that the size of pearlite has little effects on the removal rate of $CH_3CHO$. In terms of Elapsed time, the removal characteristic seems apparent at the early stage, where the average removal rate for the first 10 hours takes up 84 percent compared with that of 20 hours.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.388-395
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• 2016

This paper explores the photocatalytic sensitivity of cement mortar incorporated with recycled $TiO_2$ from waste water sludge. Basically, $TiO_2$ cluster sank down slowly to the bottom of cement mortar specimen before setting and hardening process. This leads the mismatch of $TiO_2$ concentration on the top and the bottom faces of a specimen. This poorly dispersed $TiO_2$-cement mortar naturally exhibits poor NOx removal efficiency especially on the top of cementitious structure. In architectural engineering application such as building or housing structures, one can simply filp over from the bottom so that more $TiO_2$ concentrated surface can be placed outward into the air. However, in highway pavement case, this could not be applicable due to in-situ installation of concrete pavement. Hence, the dispersion of $TiO_2$ cluster inside the cementitous material is getting important issue onto road construction application. To elaborate this issue, according to our results, silica fume, high-ranged water reducer, viscosity agent, blast furnace slag were not enhanced much of dispersion characteristics of $TiO_2$ cluster. The combination of foaming agent and accelerator of hardening with viscosity agent and small grain size of fine aggregate may help the dispersion of $TiO_2$ inside cementitious materials. Even though the enhanced dispersion were applied to the specimen, NOx removal efficiency doest not change much for the top surface of the specimen. This concurrently affected by the presence of tiny air voids and the dispersion of $TiO_2$ in that these voids could easily adsorbed NOx gas with the aid of large surface area.