Photocatalytic Treatment of Industrial Waste Water Using Functional Nanomaterials

Abstract

Water pollution produced by different industries specifically from textile dyeing and oil industries due to the presence of highly complex compounds like diverse dyestuffs, heavy metal ions, oils and other carcinogenic organic and inorganic pollutants. Nanomaterials offers great potential for the development of an alternate strategy for industrial wastewater. The study aims to utilize the different functional nanomaterials for the efficient treatment of industrial wastewater. By inspiring the individual properties of semiconducting nanomaterials like TiO2, ZnO and CuO, the heterogenous photocatalysts like graphene oxide/titanium dioxide (GO/TiO2), graphene oxide/zinc oxide (GO/ZnO) and copper oxide/zinc oxide-tetrapods (CuO/ZnO-T) nanocomposites were synthesized using hydrothermal method. The ability of all synthesized nanomaterials was estimated by not only decontaminating the textile dyeing industry wastewater but also, decolorizing three model pollutant dyes i.e. methylene blue (MeB), methyl orange (MO) and crystal violet (CV) dyes present in textile dyeing industry wastewater. Additionally, for the removal of hazardous heavy metal ion i.e. hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)), activated carbon was synthesized using agriculture waste sugarcane bagasse. Then, ZnO-Tetrapods/activated carbon (ZnO-T/AC) nanocomposite as well as copper oxide/zinc oxide-tetrapods (CuO/ZnO-T) nanocomposite was synthesized by hydrothermal method and their adsorption efficiency was evaluated against the Cr(VI) present in industrial wastewater.. An superhydrophobic, biocompatible and reusable nanomaterial as a magnetic nanosorbent, polydimethylsiloxaneatzinc oxide-tetrapodatiron oxide-nanorod nanohybrid (PZF nanohybrid) was synthesized by hydrothermal method. By finding the technological advantages of these multifunctional nanomaterials, the thesis outlines an opportunity to further capitalize these nanomaterials for sustainable water remediation.