Comparison Study of Photocatalytic Activity of Titanium-Rich Materials Derived from Natural Minerals Ores Using Acidic Leaching

摘要

Over past decades, titanium dioxide-based materials have been recognized as effectively practical photocatalysts for purification of toxicity waste. However, pure TiO_2 photocatalyst is highly active under ultraviolet illumination. In this work, the effort has been focused on the synthesis of titanium-rich materials starting from minerals ores ilmenite ores and leucoxene ores by ball-milling process in combined with hydrochloric acid leaching method with optimized conditions. Crystallinity and morphologies of as-prepared samples were characterized by X-rays diffraction technique and scanning electron microscope. The photocatalytic activities of both derived-materials were studied and compared by degradation of Rhodamine B organic dye as organic toxicity compound under ultraviolet light and visible light. The results illustrate that the leucoxene-derived sample exhibits superior catalytic performance to the sample derived from ilmenite ores due to the greater Ti-content of the starting leucoxene ores.