{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Exploring the viability of a floating photocatalyst in a continuous stirred tank reactor system for continuous water treatment.
{Author}: Yang H;Lee YJ;Park SJ;Lee CG;
{Journal}: Environ Sci Pollut Res Int
{Volume}: 30
{Issue}: 53
{Year}: 2023 Nov 20
{Factor}: 5.19
{DOI}: 10.1007/s11356-023-30541-5
{Abstract}: The use of photocatalysts in continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) systems allows for efficient and continuous water treatment, thus meeting the demand for scalable technology and comparative data in large-scale implementations. Hence, this study aims to explore the feasibility of a floating photocatalyst within a CSTR system for continuous water treatment. An expanded polystyrene (EPS)-TiO2 composite was synthesized following established methodologies, and their efficacy in removing the water pollutant methylene blue (MB) was compared for both batch and CSTR systems. A nonlinear first-order model was identified as the most suitable approach to accurately simulate MB degradation under experimental conditions, and the calculated pseudo-first-order degradation rate constant (k') for the CSTR system (0.0126-0.0172/min) was found to be superior to that observed for the batch system (0.0113/min). In addition, an increase in the flow rate reduced the retention time, leading to lower MB removal efficiency for the CSTR system. In addition, the EPS-TiO2/UV system with a CSTR configuration was found to efficiently use light and energy based on the calculated quantum yield (Φ = 2.86 × 10-4) and electrical energy per order (EEO = 857.46 kWh/m3/order). The findings of this study contribute to the development of sustainable and efficient water treatment strategies, offering valuable insight into the implementation of practical water treatment processes.