Employing ZnFe2O4 as a nano photocatalyst for degradation of Tert- Butyl alcohol in synthetic wastewater

The wastewater containing Tert- Butyl alcohol (TBA) contains water-soluble polymer discharged from different chemical and textile industries. In this study, through the application of the UV/ZnFe2O4 approach in a batch photoreactor, the decomposition of synthetic wastewater including TBA was investigated. The co-precipitation method was utilized for synthesizing the ZnFe2O4 nano photocatalyst. Using FTIR spectroscopy, XRD, and SEM images, the characterization of catalyst was ascertained. For evaluation and exploration of the stability of nano photocatalyst particles, the Zeta potential was utilized. The influence of different crucial factors including the concentration of catalyst, the initial dosage of contaminants, and pH, on the mineralization of TBA was studied. At optimal situations (pH at 6, 25 mg/l of TBA, and 0.9 g/l of catalyst) and after 120 min of remediation time, around 58% of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and 93.5% of TBA was eliminated. The main reason for the generation of active radicals in the photocatalytic method is the electron-hole mechanism. According to the Langmuir Hinshelwood model, the kinetic of the TBA decomposition was elucidated hence, the half-life of the reaction and the apparent rate of the pseudo-first-order reaction, (t_(1/2)=35 min) and (K_app=1.98×10^(-2) min^(-1)) was obtained, respectively.