AgBr/Ag₃PO₄ Composites for Photocatalytic Removal of Ammonia Nitrogen in Inorganic Wastewater under Visible Light Irradiation

The composite of AgBr/Ag₃PO₄ photocatalytic materials prepared by simple precipitation method were characterized and analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction(XRD)and field emission scanning electron microscope(SEM). A series of experiments were conducted to explore the effects of initial pH, oxygen flow and scavenger on the photocatalytic remove of ammonia nitrogen in inorganic wastewater by the composite of AgBr/Ag₃PO₄ photocatalytic materials. The results of experiments and analysis show that: under the irradiation of 60 W LED lamp, when the initial pH was 10.0, the initial concentration of ammonia nitrogen in the wastewater was 100 mg/L, and the oxygen flux was 0.2 mL/min, the photocatalytic removal rate of AgBr/Ag₃PO₄ (60%) for inorganic wastewater ammonia nitrogen can be up to 79%, and most ammonia nitrogen was converted to nitrogen. Therefore, AgBr/Ag₃PO₄ composite has excellent performance in removing ammonia nitrogen from inorganic wastewater by photocatalysis. The hydroxyl free radical ·OH is the main active substance in the photocatalytic reaction.