engleski

Immobilization of titanium dioxide on rubber tiles made with secondary raw materials for passive air protection by solar photocatalysis

Special emphasis in this paper is placed on recycled rubber tiles that line children's playgrounds, sports and recreational grounds and rehabilitation centers. The main idea of this paper was to achieve the synergistic action between immobilized photocatalyst on recycled rubber tiles and solar radiation (hereafter: photocatalytic rubber tiles, PRT). The synergistic action of solar radiation and photocatalysts triggers redox reactions on the photocatalysts surface to degrade ammonia, volatile organic compounds, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, unpleasant odors, etc. [1]. The advantage of photocatalysis is that it is an eco-friendly, sustainable, and inexpensive technology that obtains a complete or partial decomposition of pollutants. For instance, one of the most researched photocatalysts, titanium dioxide, TiO2, irradiated with UV light, can decompose many organic compounds to water, carbon dioxide, and mineral acids or their salts [2]. Therefore, this paper presents the experimental results of immobilization of commercially available TiO2 P25 on rubber tiles by a few different methods. The initial method of immobilization is the modified sol-gel method. Several such immobilizations were made to compare and select the best ratio and find a way to make a process more environmentally friendly. The second method is to mix the photocatalyst directly into the reference compound of the rubber tiles, and the last method is sieving titanium dioxide powder on reference rubber tiles before compressing the mixture. Immobilization was validated by SEM-EDS and FTIR analysis. The stability and environmental impact of PRT were investigated by leaching test and AAS and TOC analyses. The results of the leaching test are compared with the Ordinance on the methods and conditions for the landfill of waste, categories, and operational requirements for landfills [3], and the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) [4]. Photocatalytic tests were done in a simulated polluted atmosphere to confirm the PRT activity as new photocatalytic material. The sol- gel immobilization with the lowest proportion of photocatalysts proved to be the most effective.

titanium dioxide, photocatalysis, recycled rubber, air purification

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