Removal of phthalocyanine reactive dye using plasma corona discharge

Abstract

Abstract Phthalocyanine reactive dye is typically difficult to biodegrade in water because of its big molecular size coming from the complex metal structure of the dye. Corona plasma discharge which can produce active radical species and molecules with high oxidation potentials, shockwaves, and ultraviolet light is the potential to efficiently degrade the compounds. The experiments were carried out in a batch reactor with a capacity of 400 ml. The plasma generator used in this study had a point-plane electrode configuration with a voltage of 40 kV. The concentration of dye used as a target for degradation was 25 ppm. The reactor was operated with the addition of pure oxygen gas flowing into the reactor. The distance between electrodes and the time of exposure were varied and their removal efficiency (color and COD value) were tested. The results showed that the highest removal efficiency of the dye (83.15% and 52.32% for color removal and COD value respectively) was achieved from the experiment with an electrode distance of 4.0 cm and exposure time of 60 minutes.