The Activity of PVDF-TiO2/ZnO/CoO Nanofiber Photocatalyst for Degradation of Humic Acid Solution

Abstract

Peat water sources could be found in many lowland and marshy areas in Indonesia such as in Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Papua. The water could be a problem for residents living around it because it formed from decayed plants, animals, and microbes. The main component of it is humic acid which is a complex of organic compound and natural polymer. This research aims to conduct the activity of PVDF-TiO2/ZnO/CoO nanofiber photocatalyst for degradation of humic acid solution. Photocatalytic activities were studied inside a photoreactor with artificial UV radiation with 254 nm wavelength. The percentage of degradation was determined by measuring humic acid solution before and after degradation using UV-Vis spectrophotometer with maximum lambda is 219 nm. The study of kinetic for a photocatalytic reaction was calculated with rate constant 4,29 x 10-5 min-1 ppm-1 and the kinetic of photodegradation on this research was pseudo secondorder kinetic model.