Water Treatment by Photocatalysis Assisted with Hydrothermal Process

This paper reports the efficiency of photocatalytic process activated under hydrothermal conditions. This hybrid activation is efficient for effluent treatment at relatively low temperature (below 150 °C) and pressure (5 bar) in presence of TiO 2 containing anatase phase alone or in mixture with rutile. We compared the efficiency of this hybrid process in regards to photocatalysis at ambient temperature and to catalytic oxidation under mild pressure and temperature (hydrothermal process) by investigating the impact of temperature (90–150 °C), irradiation type (UV-A centered at 365 nm and visible light [λ > 400 nm]) and nature of TiO 2 (anatase, rutile or mixture of anatase and rutile) on the conversion and mineralization of glucose. This hybrid process (photocatalysis assisting by hydrothermal process) showed better mineralization of glucose than the two separated processes explained by a more important formation of hydroxide ions by hydrothermal process favoring HO° radical by photocatalysis. This new process was also efficient for industrial effluent mineralization.