Efficient degradation of rhodamine B using Fe-based metallic glass catalyst by Fenton-like process.

An efficient heterogeneous catalyst, Fe-based metallic glass (Fe–Si–B amorphous ribbon), was successfully prepared for Fenton-like degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) by a melt-spinning method. The catalyst was characterized using XRD and SEM. The effects of various reaction parameters such as H2O2 dosage, temperature, initial pH value, Fe–Si–B dosage and initial RhB concentration on the degradation of RhB were studied. Almost complete degradation of RhB (20 mg L−1) was achieved within only 10 min by 0.5 g L−1 Fe–Si–B catalyst and 1.6 mM H2O2 at pH 3.0 at 295 K. Kinetic analyses showed that the degradation process could be described by a pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The catalytic stability was also investigated and it was found that the Fe–Si–B catalyst exhibited good structural stability and no loss of performance even after three cycles. It was concluded that the Fe–Si–B amorphous ribbon was a potential heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst for industrial wastewater treatment.