Mechanical Process Enables Sunlight-Driven Textile Wastewater Treatment
Researchers at University of Birmingham have developed a sustainable method to break down toxic pollutants in wastewater using sunlight-activated catalysts produced through an innovative mechanical process.
The study, published in the journal npj 2D Materials and Applications, highlights a water-based technique that creates ultra-thin photocatalysts capable of degrading persistent industrial dyes commonly found in textile, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, food and printing wastewater streams.
Synthetic textile dyes are among the largest contributors to global water pollution and are often difficult to remove completely through conventional wastewater treatment methods. Untreated dye effluents can contaminate water bodies, disrupt aquatic ecosystems, reduce photosynthesis in marine and freshwater plants, and pose serious risks to human health.
The research team, led by Dr. Jason Stafford from the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Birmingham Centre for Mechanochemistry and Mechanical Processing, demonstrated that catalysts produced through high-intensity turbulent shear stresses can significantly improve photocatalytic degradation without the use of toxic solvents.
The process exfoliates molecular-thin sheets of semiconductor materials and assembles them into heterostructures with tailored photoelectronic properties. Researchers used graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) to manufacture the catalysts, owing to their visible-light responsiveness, stability and low production cost.
According to the study, the catalysts enhanced degradation performance of model pollutants including indigo carmine, rhodamine B and acid red 266 by up to 2.5 times compared to untreated raw materials. The process achieved high efficiency within just 10 minutes of mechanical treatment and completed photocatalytic performance enhancement in under 90 minutes.
Notably, acid red 266 contains carbon-fluorine bonds, which are known for their resistance to degradation and are commonly associated with persistent industrial pollution.
Dr. Stafford said the research could help address a major challenge in scaling sustainable photocatalysis technologies for industrial wastewater treatment.
“While there are several methods for removing pollutants from water, a more desirable option is to degrade them into simpler, non-toxic compounds. We have shown that it is possible to produce efficient photocatalysts using a sustainable and scalable process, and we are confident the method could be adapted for industrial-scale production,” he said.
Source: University of Birmingham.
