Adsorption and photocatalytic decomposition of odor compounds containing sulfur using TiO2/SiO2 bead

Adsorption and photocatalytic decomposition of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) using an improved type of silica bead inner-supported with TiO(2) (TiO(2)/SiO(2)) were investigated. The specific surface area of the TiO(2)/SiO(2) bead was 321 m(2) g(-1) and the adsorption capacity of the bead for DMS or DMDS was 49.9, 116 mug g(-1), respectively. Photocatalytic decomposition of DMS using the bead was about 100% at the space velocities of 33.5-134 h(-1) after the equilibrium between adsorption and desorption of the compound, whereas, that of DMS using surface-supported TiO(2)/SiO(2) was below 65% at the same conditions as described in previous paper. Though photocatalytic decomposition of DMDS using the inner-supported bead was below 53% for the same condition as DMS, the removal of DMDS in the lighting up condition from the start using the bead was about 100% for 50 h at a space velocity of 67 h(-1). It was suggested that DMDS was treated completely by the composite effects of adsorption and photocatalytic decomposition. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.