Title: Preparation, characterisation and testing of photocatalytic polymeric membranes with entrapped or suspended TiO2

Authors: Raffaele Molinari, GianLuca Scicchitano, Fabrizio Pirillo, Vittorio Loddo, Leonardo Palmisano

Addresses: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica e dei Materiali, Universita della Calabria, via P. Bucci, Cubo 45/A, I-87030 Rende (CS), Italy. ' Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica e dei Materiali, Universita della Calabria, via P. Bucci, Cubo 45/A, I-87030 Rende (CS), Italy. ' Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica e dei Materiali, Universita della Calabria, via P. Bucci, Cubo 45/A, I-87030 Rende (CS), Italy. ' Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica dei Processi e dei Materiali, Universita di Palermo, viale delle Scienze, I-90128 Palermo, Italy. ' Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica dei Processi e dei Materiali, Universita di Palermo, viale delle Scienze, I-90128 Palermo, Italy

Abstract: Various cellulose triacetate (CTA) or polysulfone (PSf) membranes with entrapped polycrystalline TiO2 were prepared by using different methods of the so-called phase inversion process. Porosity and permeability of the membranes increased by increasing the amount of entrapped TiO2 while rejection decreased. The photoactivity of entrapped TiO2 for the degradation of congo-red was compared with that of the same quantity of suspended TiO2 and the results indicated that TiO2 was always more efficient when used in suspension. A hybrid configuration consisting of a continuous membrane photoreactor with the photocatalyst in suspension showed to be the most promising one.

Keywords: photocatalytic polymeric membranes; TiO2; heterogeneous photocatalysis; congo-red photodegradation; water treatment; cellulose triacetate membranes; polysulfone membranes; porosity; permeability; photoactivity; continuous membrane photoreactor; phase inversion; environmental chemistry.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2005.006856

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2005 Vol.23 No.2, pp.140 - 152

Published online: 19 Apr 2005 *

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