Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanocatalyst Via Hydrothermal Method for Photocatalytic Oxidation Process of Refinery Wastewater

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of ICT, AL-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, P.O. Box: 54001, Muthanna, Iraq

2 Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Muthanna, P.O. Box: 1550, Muthanna, Iraq

3 MuthaDepartment of Chemical Engineering, University of Muthanna, P.O. Box: 1550, Muthanna, Iraqnna/Iraqi

4 College of Engineering, Al Ayen University, P.O. Box: 64001, Nasiriyah, Iraq

Abstract

The increasing environmental concerns due to industrial wastewater, particularly from refineries, necessitate the development of efficient and sustainable wastewater treatment methods. In this study, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocatalysts were synthesized via a simple and cost-effective hydrothermal method for their application in the photocatalytic oxidation process to degrade organic contaminants in refinery wastewater. The hydrothermal synthesis conditions, including temperature, precursor concentration, and reaction time, were optimized to achieve high-quality ZnO nanostructures with enhanced photocatalytic activity. The structural, morphological, and optical properties of the synthesized ZnO were characterized using techniques such as X-ray XRD, FE-SEM, FTIR, DRS, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The organic removal reached 93.89 % and 91.28 % at best conditions of 9 pH, 0.25 Nano catalyst dose, and 120 min irradiation time of prepared nano zinc oxide and commercial titanium dioxide with UV light respectively. The aptitude of the catalyst dose to eliminate organic content was amplified after the addition of different amounts of agents. Usually, photocatalytic oxidation is meaningful through its high aptitude in the direction of oxide organic compounds in refinery wastewater.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Progress in Color, Colorants and Coatings
Volume 18, Issue 4 - Serial Number 59
October 2025
Pages 479-492

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