Photocatalytic Decolorization of Waste Water Using ZnS Catalyst Synthesized from Petroleum Coke

Petroleum coke has high carbon and 2.18% sulfur. It is generated as waste from refinery industries. The sulfur present in petroleum coke has been utilized to synthesize the ZnS photocatalyst by photolysis process. The ZnCl₂ and petroleum coke were pulverized in the ball mill where the two compounds are mixed at the ratio of 1:1. The catalyst is prepared by simple mixing technique, the photolysis process by maintaining constant temperature. The mixture is suspended in 100 mL water and mixed well. The solution was illuminated using 100W Ultraviolet (UV) lamp. The solution is well mixed using magnetic stirrer during the UV illumination process. After the photolysis process, the prepared sample is filtered. Then the synthesized sample is characterized to study the property of the nanocomposite. The prepared catalyst is used as a photocatalyst for the decolorization of Acid Red dye.