Abstract:
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are classified as hazardous air pollutants since they
have negatively impact on the ecosystem and cause a variety of health issues. The 2,5-
Dichlorophenol (2,5-DCP) is the selected VOC in this study. Due to its recalcitrant
characteristics, 2,5-DCP is not easily biodegradable. The 2,5-DCP is classified as a high
production volume chemical. To limit VOC emissions, a simple enclosure is not enough.
Catalytic degradation has proven to be an efficient method to treat VOCs. Among
VOC controlling techniques, the use of zeolite-based catalysts is a promising strategy.
Therefore, this study focused on the degradation of 2,5-DCP using Cu-modified zeolite
catalysts. The adsorptive degradation capability of 2,5-DCP over Cu/Y and Cu/ZSM
(Zeolite Socony Mobil)-5 zeolite was investigated. ZSM-5 zeolite was synthesized via microwave
assisted hydrothermal method. Powder X-ray diffractometer (PXRD), Fouriertransform
infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy were used to evaluate
the quality characteristics of Cu/ZSM-5 zeolite. Results revealed the presence of ZSM-
5 zeolite. The adsorption of 2,5-DCP on Cu/Y and Cu/ZSM-5 zeolite was studied.
The variable effects of zeolite dosage, contact time, temperature, initial 2,5-DCP concentration
and 2,5-DCP volume were investigated. Adsorption capacities and removal
efficiencies were studied to investigate optimal conditions for 2,5-DCP degradation. The
qualitative and quantitative data of the 2,5-DCP degradation process were obtained and
analyzed via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). At optimum conditions,
dosage, time, temperature, concentration and volume are to be 8 mg, 60 minutes, 100
◦C, 4 mM and 200 μl respectively. Pseudo second-order kinetic model fitted well with the
adsorption data (R2 = 0.8377). The GC-MS and Raman spectroscopy data revealed that
both Cu/Y and Cu/ZSM-5 zeolite has degraded 2,5-DCP. Cu-loaded Y zeolite and ZSM-
5 zeolite can be applied as promising adsorbents in the removal of 2,5 dichlorophenol.
