Photocatalytic degradation of surfactants with immobilized TiO2: comparing two reaction systems.

The photocatalytic degradation of two industrial-grade surfactants, sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) and sodium dodecylbenzenesulphonate (SDDBS), were achieved using TiO2 immobilised on glass Raschig rings and inside a bent tube of glass, using two different photoreactors in recirculation batch mode with a black light fluorescent tube as irradiation source. The influence of parameters pH, recalculation flow, airflow and number of treatment units were determined. For comparison purposes, the energetic cost of treatment was determined for both reaction systems as the figure-of-merit EE/O, showing that titania supported on glass Raschig rings is a more efficient system than the inner coated spring with TiO2, but this condition is strongly dependent on the surfactant identity. The best conditions for surfactants elimination were used to carry out the treatment of solutions containing two commercial detergents, reaching an 80% of removal in 60 min of irradiation.