JScholar Publishers Photocatalytic Mineralization of Chlorazol Black E (Direct Black 38) over Zeolite-Supported Titania-Based Catalysts Desiree A Young 1 , Abdul K Mohammed 2 , Shawn K Blue 3 and Kenneth L Roberts 4,* 1 Refineries Additives, Oil & Gas Division, Johnson Matthey Process Technologies Inc., Savannah, GA 31408, USA 2 Department of Chemistry, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27707, USA 3 U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA 4 Department of Chemical Engineering, King Faisal University, Al Ahsa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Research Open Access Journal of Chemical and Process Engineering Received Date: November 05, 2014 Accepted Date: December 08, 2014 Published Date: December 08, 2014 Citation: Desiree A Young, et al. (2014) Photocatalytic Mineralization of Chlorazol Black E (Direct Black 38) over Zeolite- Supported Titania-Based Catalysts. J Chem Proc Eng 1: 1-7 *Corresponding author: Kenneth L Roberts, Department of Chemical Engineering, King Faisal University, Al Ho- fuf, Al Ahsa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 31982; Tel: +9660135895403; Fax: +9660135817068; E-mail: kroberts@kfu. edu.sa ©2013 e Authors. Published by the JScholar under the terms of the Crea- tive Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/3.0/, which permits unrestricted use, provided the original author and source are credited. J Chem Proc Eng 2014 | Vol 1: 203 Background Abstract e reactivity of a TiO 2 / zeolite-Y photocatalyst was investigated for the assisted photodegradation of Chlorazol Black E (Direct Black 38). is work is the first report of the utilization of a zeolite-Y supported TiO 2 catalyst for the photocatalytic demineralization and full kinetic characterization of Chlorazol Black E (Direct Black 38) dye. Reaction species formed aſter complete dye mineralization were identified using spectroscopic and conductivity measurements. Because complete min- eralization requires prolonged irradiation, which in turn causes a barrier for the application of photocatalytic degradation in wastewater treatment, this investigation involved the “optimal” reaction conditions for TiO 2 photodegradation. To define these conditions, dye concentration, pH of dye solution, conductivity and temperature during photodegradation were uti- lized in this study. Keywords: Photocatalysis; Dye degradation; Chlorazol E; Direct black 38; Titania; Zeolite Y; Zeolite Y supported titania Commercial dyes make up the palette that is used to color our world. Synthetic dyes have a strong resistance to fading while simultaneously providing an array of bright colors in the modern textile products. Guidelines and regulations for proper disposal and treatment have become stricter in or- der to protect the environment and human health. Because of this fact, dye manufacturers have become more interested in developing effective methods to remediate synthetic dyes. e toxicity of these synthetic dyes has led to increased re- search for improved treatment and disposal of textile dye ef- fluents [1]. If wastewater effluents are not completely decol- orized prior to discharge, the burden of treatment falls upon publicly owned water treatment facilities. Once in a publicly owned water treatment facility, wastewater effluent will end up in sludges. ese sludges are dewatered and then depos- ited into landfills. Benzidine, a precursor in the synthesis of most azo dyes, is a known carcinogen. Although benzidine is no longer manufactured in the United States, benzidine- based azo dyes are still imported and used commercially. Be- cause of the carcinogenic nature of these organic pollutants, they pose a specific threat to the environment if they are not disposed of and treated properly. Presently, there are a variety of nondestructive methods for treating industrial wastewaters [2]. Filtration using granulat- ed active carbon (GAC) or chemical coagulation has mainly been used to treat dye waste. Additionally, ultra filtration, air stripping, carbon adsorption, extraction, incineration, and oxidation via ozonation or hydrogen peroxide have been used for the azo dye remediation process. However feasible, these methods present several disadvantages, which include transference of the contaminant from a liquid phase to a solid phase that requires subsequent treatment. Owing to the sta- bility of these dyes against biological degradation, biodegra- dation has not been deemed as advantageous for these com- pounds. Alternative approaches are under investigation for the treat- ment of dye wastewaters. Nondegradative processes have been almost completely replaced by degradative processes. ese degradative processes can be referred to as advanced oxidation processes (AOP). AOP’s are associated with the aqueous phase production of the hydroxyl radicals that re- sult in the destruction of the target pollutant. Photocatalytic