Author : Chethana Gadiyar, Bhanupriya Boruah, Calvina Mascarenhas and Vidya Shetty K

The UV photocatalytic decomposition of Acid Yellow-17 dye by TiO2 immobilized on Chitosan and Cellulose Acetate were studied. The catalyst used was nanosized TiO2 prepared by sol-gel technique. The batch studies with free catalyst and the immobilized catalysts were carried out and it is found supports used in immobilization do not offer diffusional limitations. Kinetics of degradation of the dye by immobilized TiO2 nanoparticles followed first order kinetics in the range of concnetrations studied. The effect of factors like catalyst loading, initial dye concentration, liquid flow rate on the degradation of Acid Yellow-17 was studied in a fluidized bed flow reactor operated in a batch recycle mode with the nanoparticles immobilized on cellulose acetate film.. Fluidized bed reactor with catalysts supported on cellulose acetate flakes may be considered as an efficient photoreactor.

Keywords: Acid yellow-17; TiO2, immobilized nanoparticles; photocatalysis; fluidized bed reactor

Article published in the Proceedings of National Conference on ‘Women in Science & Engineering’ (NCWSE 2013), SDMCET Dharwad