Desarrollo de materiales compuestos de arcilla reforzada con dióxido de titanio para la aplicación en la degradación fotocatalítica de fenoles

Abstract

In this paper the development of four composite materials arises from natural bentonite clay type, reinforced commercial titanium dioxide, USP grade and nanoparticles of titanium dioxide in anatase phase. These materials were used for the oxidation of phenol by heterogeneous photocatalysis. The synthesis of the composite were made by direct impregnation of two types titanium dioxide on a bentonite clay matrix, were worked with concentrations of 0.05 and 0.15 g of titanium dioxide per gram of active clay, followed a heat treatment at 500 ºC for 2 h. Composite materials obtained were characterized by XDR, IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetry and laser light scattering. Subsequently, the photocatalytic activity of each of the composite materials obtained in phenol degradation on synthetic solutions of 50 mg/L initial concentration, in presence of artificial UV light (λ = 364 nm) and hydrogen peroxide was evaluated. Assays pollutant removal were performed with 0.4 and 0.8 g of each composite in 100 mL of synthetic solution at pH 6.5. The best results the composite prepared with 0.15 g of commercial titanium dioxide, USP grade per gram of active clay. Finally, the study of contaminant adsorption in presence of the composite material with the highest photocatalytic degradation was achieved, indicated that phenol degradation in this study was attributed solely to the photocatalytic process.