Photocatalytic degradation of indole in a circulating upflow reactor by UV/TiO2 process--influence of some operating parameters.

The present work involves the photocatalytic degradation of indole on a recirculating reactor. The effects of various factors as initial concentration of indole, catalyst-loading, pH, agitation and flow rate of the solution on the photodegradation were examined. The experimental results indicate that the optimal pH for indole elimination is about 6-7; the effect of catalyst loading shows an optimal value (1g/L) which is necessary to degrade indole; the increase of recirculating rate leads to a decrease of degradation rate due to the reduction of the residence time; the agitation speed has a slight influence on the indole degradation by improving the mass transfer step.

Optimization of the indole photodegradation on supported TiO(2): influences of temperature, concentration, TiO(2) amount and flow rate.

This work describes the photodegradation of aqueous indole solutions by using TiO(2) supported on cellulose fibres. Four parameters were studied: the indole concentration; the TiO(2) amount; the temperature and the flow rate. Central composite experimental design was used to determine the influences of the parameters on the indole degradation percentage.