Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue by the use of titanium-doped Calcined Mussel Shells CMS/TiO2

This work deals with the photo-degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye in aqueous medium by the use of Calcined Mussel Shells (CMS) doped with titanium dioxide (TiO2). Experiments were carried out under UV light using a variety of conditions in order to highlight the effect on oxidation process of different operating parameters such as pH, initial concentration of dye, catalyst dosage, TiO2 percentage in CMS, contact time and the presence of H2O2. Obtained results showed that these parameters govern considerably the photo-catalytic treatment efficiency. CMS/40%TiO2 seems the best composition for photo-catalytic degradation of MB and basic pH is necessary to achieve high level of discoloration. The increase of initial dye concentration reduces the efficiency of the photo-catalytic process. However, the addition of H2O2 improves considerably its performance.