
LU Jiangyi
Mechanical Engineer / Product Designer
Dye Degradation Using Electrospun Potassium Niobate Nanofibers
Project Overview
In this project, we focus on investigating the dye degradation effect of KNO on various dyes and perform a parametric study.
Methodology
The experiments are carried through three steps, including 1)sample making(solution making, nanofibers using electrospinning, canalization of nanofibers in furnace); 2)sample check(diameter measurement using SEM, elemental composition check using EDX, spectrum analysis using XRD); 3)sample analysis (comparison of dye degradation with and without nanofibers). All these steps are similar to the previous one.
After the fabrication of nanofibers, we need to make the sample and do the experiments, which is different from the energy harvester.
Sample analysis is planned to understand the effect of nanofibers on dye degradation. The experiment of sample analysis is carried out by mixing the dye (methyl blue) and KNO nanofibers using magnetic stirrer. The solution is irradiated under UV light or direct sunlight. Every 15 minutes a small part of the solution is taken for spectroscopy test using UV-Vis Spectrometer. Due to the photocatalysis phenomenon, the dye decolorizes which will be reflected in the UV spectra obtained. The data is analyzed for further studies.
Result




We can clearly see from the results that the peak value decreased after adding nanofibers, which indicates that a large part of dye has been decomposed. Based on these charts, we can proceed to the next step of numerical analysis.