4-8 July 2016
Kramer Law building
Africa/Johannesburg timezone
<a href="http://events.saip.org.za/internalPage.py?pageId=10&confId=86">The Proceedings of SAIP2016</a> published on 24 December 2017

The photocatalytic degradation study of Rhodamine B using zinc oxide as an alternative catalyst to titanium dioxide

5 Jul 2016, 15:00
20m
4B (Kramer Law building)

4B

Kramer Law building

UCT Middle Campus Cape Town
Oral Presentation Track A - Division for Physics of Condensed Matter and Materials Division for Physics of Condensed Matter and Materials (2)

Speaker

Mr Siyabonga Nkabinde (University of the Witwatersrand)

Would you like to <br> submit a short paper <br> for the Conference <br> Proceedings (Yes / No)?

No

Abstract content <br> &nbsp; (Max 300 words)<br><a href="http://events.saip.org.za/getFile.py/access?resId=0&materialId=0&confId=34" target="_blank">Formatting &<br>Special chars</a>

Colored dye waste waters are released in huge quantities to the environment and cause negative effects to living organisms. As a result, a technique called advanced oxidation processes has been developed to effectively degrade such pollutants. In this study, rod-like and spherical ZnO nano-particles are synthesized and their photocatalytic activity is investigated. Photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B was carried out by irradiating an aqueous solution of the dye containing ZnO using solar light. The effect of dye concentration (5 – 50 mg\L) and pH (2 – 12) are reported. Degradation was followed by measuring absorbance of aliquots spectrophotometrically. Experimental results indicated that an increase in catalyst amount or decrease in dye concentration resulted to high degradation rate. A pH study showed that the dyes were degraded efficiently under neutral and basic conditions and a significant decrease in the degradation efficiency was seen under acidic conditions, with maximum degradation observed at pH 8.

Apply to be<br> considered for a student <br> &nbsp; award (Yes / No)?

Yes

Level for award<br>&nbsp;(Hons, MSc, <br> &nbsp; PhD, N/A)?

MSc

Main supervisor (name and email)<br>and his / her institution

Dr Zikhona Tetana (zikhona.tetana@wits.ac.za), University of the Witwatersrand

Please indicate whether<br>this abstract may be<br>published online<br>(Yes / No)

No

Primary author

Mr Siyabonga Nkabinde (University of the Witwatersrand)

Co-author

Dr Zikhona Tetana (Microscopy and Microanalysis Unit (MMU), University of the Witwatersrand)

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