Fabrication of Immobilized Eggshell/TiO2 Photocatalytic Composite-based Membrane

Abstract

The use of synthetic dyes presents serious environmental consequences, including pollution, health risks, and the presence of toxic chemicals in food and food products. Methylene blue, a cationic dye commonly found in wastewater, poses health hazards due to its blue solution and potential adverse effects on human well-being. To address these issues, heterogeneous photocatalysis offers a greener approach to treating textile wastewater by employing environmentally friendly oxidants. In this study, the focus is on the removal of methylene blue (MB) using a photocatalyst composed of eggshell/TiO₂ composites. These composites were synthesized by calcining eggshells to produce calcium oxide (CaO) and then combining them with TiO₂. Testing was conducted using 1 g of prepared samples and a 4 ppm MB solution as a model pollutant to assess the removal percentage. Among the three different ratios 9:1, 7:3 and 5:5 of eggshell/TiO₂, the eggshell/TiO₂ composite with a ratio of 9:1 demonstrated optimal performance, achieving the highest MB removal around 63.89% whereby this performance is significant with 100% TiO₂ (0:10). Provenly, eggshells possess excellent adsorbent properties and act as effective support for TiO₂ in the composite photocatalyst. The increased surface area of the eggshell/TiO₂ composite photocatalyst enhances both MB solution adsorption and photocatalytic degradation, thereby improving its overall effectiveness. In conclusion, eggshells show great potential as a support material for photocatalysts, making them an environmentally friendly catalyst option.