Sunlight has many benefits for human life. In its development, now the sun can help the wastewater treatment process. This may be done by using nanoparticles of titanium dioxide (TiO 2) as photocatalyst for pollutants in the water purification process.
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| ► The photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanobelts is evidently enhanced by the heterostructures between Ag nanoparticles and TiO2 nanobelts. ► The nanopapers based on Ag/TiO2 nanobelt heterostructures are fabricated via a modified paper-making process. ► A continuous flow photocatalytic reactor is designed. ► The TiO2 nanopapers in the microreactor show an excellent continuous photocatalytic performance for liquid and gas phase pollutants. ► The Ag/TiO2 nanobelts nanopaper shows a good antibacterial effect. (Picture from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/) |
This was revealed in the seminar "The Importance of Nanotechnology to Control Manufacturing Industry Sector National" in Material-Metallurgy Fair 2011 "From Materials and Metallurgy for Indonesia's Future" at the ITB, Friday (11/11). Present Chairman of the Indonesia nanotechnology society as a speaker Dr. Taufiqurahman, Engineering Physics ITB lecturer Dr. Ir. Bambang Sunendar, and ITB Physics lecturer Prof. Dr. Ir. Mikrajuddin Abdullah.
On that occasion, Mikrajuddin elaborated on the capture sunlight using nanoparticles of titanium dioxide (TiO 2) is not pure. He said, because no pure TiO 2 can absorb sunlight effectively, then the material's potential as a photocatalyst material to clear up pollution in the water under solar radiation as a substitute for the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP).
"WWTP is too costly in terms of development costs, operational, and maintenance. The cost was too expensive causing many industries do not run the WWTP seriously. And secretly they still dump waste into the rivers without passing through the treatment process. For the water company drinking, the benefits of the WWTP treatment process can only be obtained by applying the sales price of high water, "said Mikrajuddin.
With consideration of these conditions, the latest innovation in the development of the wastewater treatment process must be done. According Mikrajuddin, there is one interesting thing in Indonesia, because we are given plenty of sunlight and almost there every year. "Sunlight is a clean and renewable energy for free," he said.
On that occasion, Mikrajuddin elaborated on the capture sunlight using nanoparticles of titanium dioxide (TiO 2) is not pure. He said, because no pure TiO 2 can absorb sunlight effectively, then the material's potential as a photocatalyst material to clear up pollution in the water under solar radiation as a substitute for the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP).
"WWTP is too costly in terms of development costs, operational, and maintenance. The cost was too expensive causing many industries do not run the WWTP seriously. And secretly they still dump waste into the rivers without passing through the treatment process. For the water company drinking, the benefits of the WWTP treatment process can only be obtained by applying the sales price of high water, "said Mikrajuddin.
With consideration of these conditions, the latest innovation in the development of the wastewater treatment process must be done. According Mikrajuddin, there is one interesting thing in Indonesia, because we are given plenty of sunlight and almost there every year. "Sunlight is a clean and renewable energy for free," he said.
Therefore, "according to him, it would be beneficial if it can harness the sun's rays to help the wastewater treatment process. However, it should be studied, to find what material can capture sunlight and then the material is able to eliminate the pollutants in the water." Impure TiO 2 , is one candidate material with huge potential, " he said.
Zero Energy
There are also advantages of the photocatalytic process. This, according to Mikrajuddin, is does not require the supply of energy during the process. That is, the process uses only the direct solar radiation. In addition, this process does not require any land water storage such as those encountered in water treatment processes that exist today. In other words, processing can be performed directly on bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.
According to him, if we can make optimum use of solar energy, wastewater treatment processes with the nuances of the photocatalyst is almost zero energy demand. *** [PIKIRAN RAKYAT 12112011]
