Immobilisation of TiO2-P25 on a glass fibre mat: Preparation, photocatalytic activity and stability

The aim of this research was to produce an efficient catalytic system using a commercial photocatalyst immobilised onto a readily available support. The priority was a high catalytic activity and stability for the catalytic system as well as the simplest possible methodology for its preparation. The photocatalytic activity was verified by monitoring the decolourization of an anionic dye (Acid Orange 7) as a model molecule and antibiotics (sulfa-drugs mixture) under UVa and sunlight irradiation in distilled water and in artificial wastewater. The catalytic system stability was evaluated under cyclic and continuous processes. The developed optimised catalyst system contained one layer of TiO2-P25 immobilised onto a commercial glass fibre mat. This system was very simple to produce, did not require calcination prior to use and possessed a high catalytic activity, good resistance to leaching and good stability. The photocatalytic activity of the immobilised catalyst can grow asymptotically during work-up. In the cyclic process, a high activity of the catalytic system was maintained during the 11-fold use. Moreover, there was no reduction in the activity in this process at a load of 12 m(3) of the Acid Orange 7 solution per 1 m(3) of mat of the immobilised catalyst. The photocatalytic activity of fibreglass mat coated with TiO2 was also confirmed during exposure to sunlight.