• Membrane Journal
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.101-108
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• 1996

The oxidation/degradation efficiency of formic acid through the photoelectrochemical reaction has been investigated as a basic research in order to develope the process for degrading toxic organic compounds dissolved in water. A $TiO_{2}$ photoelectro-membrane reactor for purification of water, in which filtration as well as photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of organic compounds could be carried out simultaneously, was developed. Porous $SnO_{2}$ tubes prepared by slip casting and commercial porous stainless steel tubes, being electrically conductive, were used as not only supports but also working electrodes. The UV light with the wavelength of 365 nm was applied as a light source for photocatalytic reactions. The photoelectrocatatytic composite membranes were prepared by coating the support surface with the $TiO_{2}$ sol of pH 1.45. The oxidation efficiency of formic acid increased with the reaction time and the applied voltage, but was almost independent of the solution flux. The results showed that more than 90% of formic acid could he dograded at 27V using the $TiO_{2}$/stainless steel composite membrane, while about 77% in case of the $TiO_{2}/SnO_{2}$ Composite membrane. It was also concluded that the oxidation efficiencies of formic acid could be significantly improved by about 6~7 times by the photoelectrochemical reaction in comparison with those by the photocatalytic reaction only.