Degradation of Phenol from Glove Factory’s Effluent by Zn/TiO2 Photocatalyst

Phenol is a carcinogenic, toxic and chemically stable-benzene ring compound that commonly exists in myriad industrial effluents. In this study, phenol degradation was carried out by Zn/TiO2 photocatalyst synthesized by sol-gel method that photoactive under visible light. The effect of parameters; pH level, phenol concentration and irradiation time on phenol degradation were studied using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The optimum condition was at irradiation time of six hours, pH 8 and phenol concentration of 130 ppm. The SEM analysis on Zn/TiO2 photocatalyst revealed the agglomerated morphology that enabled photoactivity under visible light.