Work

Scale-Up from Microreactors: Coupling Kinetics and Radiation Absorption Modeling for Photocatalytic Removal of Pharmaceuticals

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The kinetic parameters of the photocatalytic degradation of single and binary solutions of the pharmaceuticals tetracycline (TC) and clofibric acid (CA) were assessed in a planar microreactor with TiO 2 immobilized on the window and irradiated with simulated sunlight. The kinetics were described using a Langmuir–Hinshelwood rate model that explicitly accounts for the effect of photon absorption. A total of five parameters were fitted: two for each pollutant and one radiation-related parameter common to both compounds. These parameters were subsequently used to simulate the performance of a laboratory-scale, annular reactor filled with TiO 2 -coated glass rings and irradiated with UV-LED lamps. The model successfully predicts the behavior of both single-compound solutions and binary mixtures in the lab reactor under different irradiation conditions, with estimation errors of 14.7% for TC and 12.8% for CA. These results confirm that the estimated kinetic parameters are independent of the experimental setup, demonstrating the suitability of this methodology for scaling up photocatalytic reactors.

Source: Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research

DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.5c05109

Authors: Agustina Manassero, Marcela V. Martin, Ana L. Eusebi, María L. Satuf

Institutions: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Industria Química

Language: English

Topic: Advanced oxidation water treatment

Subfield: Water Science and Technology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Clean water and sanitation

Open Access status: green

Funders: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Agencia Santafesina de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación