Innovative Photocatalytic Reactor for Sustainable Industrial Water Decontamination: Utilizing 3D-Printed Components and Silica-Titania Trilayer Coatings
Authors: George V. Theodorakopoulos, Michalis K. Arfanis, Tadej Stepišnik Perdih, Simos Malamis, Dimitrios Iatrou, George Em. Romanos, Polycarpos Falaras
Journal: Environments
Year: 2024
Keywords: 3D printing; filters; titania; photocatalysis; Triton X-100; wastewater treatment
Abstract
Industrial activities generate enormous quantities of polluted effluents, necessitating advanced methods of wastewater treatment to prevent potential environmental threats. Thus, the design of a novel photocatalytic reactor for industrial water decontamination, purification, and reuse is proposed as an efficient advanced oxidation technology.
In this work, the development of the active reactor components is described, utilizing a two-step sol–gel technique to prepare a silica–titania trilayer coating on 3D-printed polymeric filters. The initial dip-coated SiO₂ insulator further protects and enhances the stability of the polymer matrix, and the subsequent TiO₂ layers endow the composite architecture with photocatalytic functionality.
The structural and morphological characteristics of the modified photocatalytic filters are extensively investigated, and their performance is assessed by studying the photocatalytic degradation of Triton X-100, a common and standard chemical surfactant present in contaminated wastewater from the steel industry.
The promising outcomes of the innovative versatile reactor pave the way for developing scalable, cost-effective reactors for efficient water treatment technologies.
Citation: Theodorakopoulos, G. V., Arfanis, M. K., Stepišnik Perdih, T., Malamis, S., Iatrou, D., Romanos, G. E., & Falaras, P. (2024). Innovative photocatalytic reactor for sustainable industrial water decontamination: Utilizing 3D-printed components and silica-titania trilayer coatings. Environments, 11(7), Article 156
Link to publication: https://doi.org/10.3390/environments11070156
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