Preparation of waste-based Cu-Cu2O/SiO2 photocatalyst from serpentine tailings and waste printed circuit boards and photoreduction of Cr(VI)

In China, a large amount of serpentine tailings and waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) are produced every year. Serpentine tailings contain about 43% SiO2 and WPCBs contain about 20% Cu. Reusing their resources can not only solve the problem of environmental pollution, but also produce certain economic benefits. In this study, waste-based SiO2 support, waste-based Cu-Cu2O and Cu-Cu2O/SiO2 photocatalyst were prepared using serpentine tailings and WPCBs as Si and Cu sources. The waste-based SiO2 of 750 nm particle size was obtained by precipitation of 0.7 mol/L Na2SiO3 solution from the serpentine tailings and its specific surface area reached 57.72 m2/g after 600 degrees C calcination. Cu and the waste-based Cu-Cu2O were loaded on the waste-based Cu2O and SiO2 support, respectively, and the phase structure of the catalysts has not changed by the characterization of SEM, XRD and XPS. The activity of the photocatalytic reduction of Cr (VI) with the waste-based catalysts showed in the following order: Cu2O < Cu2O/SiO2更多