Optimisation of phenol removal from wastewater using WO3 immobilized nanoparticle in a solar photoreactor

Photocatalytic degradation of phenol was studied using tungsten Tungsten trioxide (WO3) under solar light irradiation in a photoreactor. Three experimental parameters were chosen as independent variables: pH, WO3 concentration, and H2O2 concentration. A central composite experimental design (CCD) was used to establish a quadratic model as a functional relationship between the removal efficiency of phenol and three independent variables. The optimal values of operation parameters under the related constraint conditions were found at pH 7.10, WO3 concentration of 0.78 g/L and H2O2 concentration of 2270 mg/L. In optimal conditions, the removal efficiency of phenol reached 91.66%. The regression analysis with R2 value of 0.9728 indicated a good correlation between the experimental results and the predictive values. Keywords: Phenol, RSM; Removal; Optimization; Photocatalyst