Synthesis of high-efficient TiO2/clinoptilolite photocatalyst for complete degradation of xanthate

[Display omitted] •TiO2/clinoptilolite composite photocatalysts were successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal method.•TiO2/clinoptilolite composites exhibited excellent synergistic effect of adsorption and degradation.•Anatase TiO2 nanoparticles with a size of about 20 nm were coated on the surface of clinoptilolite and well-dispersed.•Complete degradation of xanthates can be achieved and over 90% of SIPX could be removed within 30 min.•The possible degradation pathway and degradation mechanism were proposed. Acid leaching clinoptilolite-based composite photocatalyst coated with TiO2 nanoparticles was prepared by a hydrothermal method. Photocatalytic properties of the obtained TiO2/clinoptilolite were evaluated through the degradation of sodium isopropyl xanthate (SIPX) under UV light irradiation. The as-prepared samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, TG-DSC, N2 adsorption-desorption, XPS, FTIR, and UV–vis DRS in detail. Compared with pure TiO2, TiO2/clinoptilolite significantly enhanced the photodegradation efficiency of SIPX due to the synergistic effect of the composite. Over 90% of SIPX could be removed within 30 min with a TiO2/clinoptilolite dosage of 1.0 g/L under neutral condition. The influences of some parameters such as the TiO2 loading amount, H2O2 dosage, calcination temperature, and initial SIPX concentration on removal efficiency were investigated systematically. The results indicated that all the photocatalytic degradation process of SIPX followed a pseudo-first-order reaction kinetic model. Moreover, the stability and applicability of TiO2/clinoptilolite were also studied. The possible degradation pathway and mechanism of improved photocatalytic activity were proposed. It showed that the novel catalyst would have a promising application prospect in the field of flotation effluent treatment.