(560fk) Photocatalytic Degradation of NOx Using CNT-TiO2 Nanocomposites

Bailey McAuley, Brian Everhart, Ahmed Abdulrazzaq Qasim Al Mayyahi, Placidus Amama

Tim Taylor Department of Chemical Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506

Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) has shown promise in eliminating several gaseous pollutants including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), NO_x, and subsequently tropospheric ozone. PCO is typically conducted with a semi-conductor catalyst, titanium dioxide (TiO_2,) where under ultra violet light irradiation, with sufficient energy, the catalyst will activate and oxidize pollutants into less harmful forms. The wavelength of light needed for this reaction is typically in the ultra violet (UV) region for light. Unfortunately, sunlight has only ~5% UV rays, limiting the practical application of TiO₂. Coupling carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to TiO₂ improves photocatalytic efficiency, possibly due to enhanced charge separation. Using a newly constructed laminar flow reactor, NO_x degradation has been tested on catalyst surfaces with and without CNTs under UV light. This study investigates the effect of variables such as humidity, substrate type, temperature, and exposure time on the degradation of NO_x over CNT-TiO2 to better understand their effects.