Mechanistic Studies of Particulate Soil Detergency: I. Hydrophobic Soil Removal

The mechanism of particulate soil detergency using aqueous surfactant systems is not well understood. In this research, carbon black (model hydrophobic soil) removal from a hydrophilic (cotton) and hydrophobic (polyester) fabric is studied using anionic, nonionic, and cationic surfactants. The zeta potential, solid/liquid spreading pressure, contact angle and surfactant adsorption of both soil and fabric are correlated to detergency over a range of surfactant concentrations and pH levels. Electrostatic repulsion between fabric and soil is generally found to be the dominant mechanism responsible for soil removal for all surfactants and fabrics. Steric effects due to surfactant adsorption are also important for nonionic surfactants for soil detachment and antiredeposition. Solid/liquid interfacial tension reduction due to surfactant adsorption also aids in detergency in cationic surfactant systems. Wettability is not seen as being an important factor and SEM photos show that entrapment of soil in the fabric weave is not significant; the particles are only attached to the fabric surface. Anionic surfactants perform best, then nonionic surfactants. Cationic surfactants exhibit poor detergency which is attributed to low surfactant rinseability.     

Dye-sensitized solar cell using natural dyes extracted from rosella and blue pea flowers

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated using natural dyes extracted from rosella, blue pea and a mixture of the extracts. The light absorption spectrum of the mixed extract contained peaks corresponding to the contributions from both rosella and blue pea extracts. However, the mixed extract adsorbed on TiO₂ does not show synergistic light absorption and photosensitization compared to the individual extracts. Instead, the cell sensitized by the rosella extract alone showed the best sensitization, which was in agreement with the broadest spectrum of the extract adsorbed on TiO₂ film. In case that the dyes were extracted at , using water as extracting solvent, the energy conversion efficiency (η) of the cells consisting of rosella extract alone, blue pea extract alone and mixed extract was 0.37%, 0.05% and 0.15%, respectively. The sensitization performance related to interaction between the dye and TiO₂ surface is discussed. The explanations are supported by the light absorption of the extract solution compared to extracts adsorbed on TiO₂ and also dye structures. The effects of changing extracting temperature, extracting solvent and pH of the extract solution are also reported. The efficiency of rosella extract sensitized DSSC was improved from 0.37% to 0.70% when the aqueous dye was extracted at instead of and pH of the dye was adjusted from 3.2 to 1.0. Moreover, DSSC stability was also improved by the changes in conditions. However, the efficiency of a DSSC using ethanol as extracting solvent was found to be diminished after being exposed to the simulated sunlight for a short period.     

Color removal of distillery wastewater by ozonation in the absence and presence of immobilized iron oxide catalyst

Ozone is a strong oxidant, which can oxidize both biodegradable and non-biodegradable organics. The main objective of this study was to use iron oxide as a heterogeneous catalyst to enhance the ozone oxidation process. The wastewater used in this study was distillery wastewater, which was diluted 20 times before use. The diluted distillery wastewater was fed continuously in a downflow direction in an ozonation column. The iron oxide catalyst was coated on 10.3mm diameter alumina balls (5.5 m2/g specific surface area) by using Fe(NO3)3 as a precursor. The prepared catalyst was in the form of ferric oxide, and its loading was 0.07%. From the experimental results of both with and without the iron oxide catalyst, an increase in hydraulic retention time resulted in an increase in the treatment efficiencies of both chemical oxygen demand (COD) and color reduction, since the residence time of ozone increased. When the ozone mass flow rate increased, both COD and color reduction increased, resulting from an increase in the hydroxyl radical available in the system. The ozonation system with the iron oxide catalyst gave the highest efficiency in both COD and color removals because the hydroxyl free radical generated from the catalyst is more reactive than the ozone molecule itself.