Addition of Sonochemical Reactor to the Solar Photocatalytic Compound Parabolic Concentrators System

Abstract

Chloroform was treated with ultrasound at 35 and 283 kHz in a compound parabolic concentrators (CPCs) system to assess the applicability of ultrasound as a supporting process of solar-photocatalysis and verify the enhancement of ultrasound combined solar-photocatalysis. Chloroform was degraded by 22.5% in the Solar/TiO2 process over a 200 min period. At an ultrasound frequency of 283 kHz, chloroform was degraded by 52.6% (Sono), 47.0% (Sono/TiO2) and 64.4% (Sono/Solar/TiO2). On the other hand, at 35 kHz, chloroform was degraded by 49.0% (Sono), 46.1% (Sono/TiO2) and 80.0% (Sono/Solar/TiO2). Ultrasound at 35 kHz was more effective for degrading chloroform in the Sono/Solar/TiO2 process than 283 kHz. The rate of hydrogen peroxide formation, particle size and specific surface area of TiO2 were measured to determine why 35 kHz is more effective than 283 kHz. (C) 2011 The Japan Society of Applied Physics