https://www.mdu.se/

mdu.sePublications
1718192021222320 of 36
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
Decomposition of non-CO2 GHGs via photocatalysis over TiO2 and ZnO
Mälardalen University, School of Business, Society and Engineering.
2025 (English)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
Abstract [en]

Methane (CH₄) is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential far greater than that of carbon dioxide. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are notable sources of low-concentration methane emissions, which are challenging to treat using conventional methods. This study investigates the potential of photocatalysis as a low-energy approach for methane decomposition under ambient conditions. Two metal oxide photocatalysts, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and zinc oxide (ZnO), were tested under ultraviolet (UV) light to evaluate their efficiency in methane degradation. Experiments using air containing approximately 2 ppm CH₄ showed no significant methane conversion under the applied conditions, indicating that improvements in light intensity, reactor design, and catalyst modification are needed. A complementary feasibility analysis based on Ag–ZnO photocatalyst data demonstrated a maximum instantaneous efficiency of 23.7% under high solar irradiation, with an annual average efficiency of about 5%. Although results confirm photocatalysis as a promising concept for methane reduction, current limitations in catalyst stability and efficiency hinder large-scale implementation.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025.
Keywords [en]
Methane decomposition, Photocatalysis, Titanium dioxide, Zinc oxide, Wastewater treatment plants, Greenhouse gas mitigation, Catalyst stability, Volatile organic compound
National Category
Energy Engineering Catalytic Processes
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-74062OAI: oai:DiVA.org:mdh-74062DiVA, id: diva2:2011118
Supervisors
Examiners
Available from: 2025-11-04 Created: 2025-11-03 Last updated: 2025-11-04Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

fulltext(2675 kB)23 downloads
File information
File name FULLTEXT01.pdfFile size 2675 kBChecksum SHA-512
117eb14f4372a8728a772e07a3e3d07fcb4b9d1c8fc56c289e57cf4de25cd9757a4929d3b3e4e0ef4f119d21b23bd461f803be8bc2bd3ef2b60fdf561d06348f
Type fulltextMimetype application/pdf

By organisation
School of Business, Society and Engineering
Energy EngineeringCatalytic Processes

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar
The number of downloads is the sum of all downloads of full texts. It may include eg previous versions that are now no longer available

urn-nbn

Altmetric score

urn-nbn
Total: 118 hits
1718192021222320 of 36
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf