WATER CONTAMINATED WITH BLU PATENT V DYE: USE OF ETS-4 FOR PHOTOCATALYTIC TREATMENT

In this experimental research, the possibility of using a well-known titanium silicate, called ETS-4, for the purification of water contaminated by an organic dye was tested. The purpose of the present research was to exploit, under certain conditions, both the adsorbent and the photocatalytic capacities of this material for the purification of water contaminated by the Blu Patent V dye. This dye is mainly used in the textile industry and it is often present in its waste water. A further intent was to identify a low cost method and for this reason, only sunlight was used to promote photocatalytic reactions. In particular, systems consisting of predetermined quantities of ETS-4 phase and dye solution were exposed for variable times to sunlight. Each system, after the predetermined time of exposure, was filtered and the resulting liquid phase was analyzed by UV analysis to measure the variations in concentration of the dye, while the solid phase was analyzed by thermal analysis (TG; DTG). The ETS-4 phase showed significant photodegradative capacities on the analyzed dye that increase in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. All this allows us to hypothesize its use, in decontamination tanks containing waste water contaminated by the dye and exposed for a short period to sunlight.