Effect of different types of polymeric binder towards photocatalytic activity of immobilized PANI/TiO₂ system

Abstract

This thesis report studies about the effect of different type of binder towards photocatalytic activity of PANI/TiO₂ photocatalyst immobilized system. Different binder and parameter of binders which is 3g, 4g, 5g and 6g of PVC, PVC and PVA/PVC was used. PVA and PVC binders are also varied by 3 and 6 amount of dipping and PVA/PVC binders are multilayer system as alternately dipped into PVA and PVC. Mechanical adhesion strength testing was performed and photocatalytic activity of all systems is tested by degradation of Red Reactive 4 (RR4) dye. Surface morphology and structure analysis are also performed. PANI/TiO₂ system with different binder was coated on a surface of custom made glass reactor cell. It was found that the best mechanical adhesion strength of binder is from PVA as lowest percentage of loss during testing. While photocatalytic activity observation shows that PVC binder have the best results of degradation of RR4 dye. Multilayer of PVA/PVC system has the middle results of strength and photoreactivity which is the optimum binder for the system. Morphological study using scanning electron microscope shows the microstructure of the PANI/TiO₂ with binder system blends well with presence of photocatalyst particles. Fourier Transform Infrared analysis shows the presence of all the functional group of the element and has higher bond energy.