Removal of an Ethoxylated Alkylphenol by Adsorption on Zeolites and Photocatalysis with TiO2/Ag

Abstract

Two advanced removal methods (adsorption and photocatalysis) were compared for the elimination of an ethoxylated alkylphenol (nonylphenol polyethylene glycol, NPEG). For the adsorption process, zeolites were used in their natural state, and the process was characterized by DRX (X-ray diffraction) and SEM–EDS (Scanning electron microscopy). The analysis of the results of the adsorption kinetics was carried out using different isotherms to interpret the removal capacity of zeolites. The Temkin kinetic model better predicted the experimental data and was satisfactorily adjusted to models of pseudo-second order (PSO). On the other hand, for photocatalysis, nano-particles of Ag (silver) were deposited on titanium oxide (TiO2) Degussa-P25 by photo-deposition, and the catalyst was characterized by diffuse reflectance and SEM–EDS. The data obtained using the two removal techniques were analyzed by UV–Vis (ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry) and total organic carbon (TOC). The kinetic data were compared. The photocatalytic process showed the highest efficiency in the removal of NPEG, corresponding to >80%, while the efficiency of the adsorption process was <60%. This was attributed to the recalcitrant and surfactant nature of NPEG.