Titanium coatings were prepared on the surface of 1mm ZrO2 balls by mechanical ball mill, then the coatings were oxidized to photocatalytic TiO2 films at 400 ~ 600 °C. X-Ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscope, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy and Optical Microscope were used to analyze the microstructure and crystal form of the films. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was also evaluated. After that, the effects of oxidation temperature on the microstructure and photocatalytic activity of the films were discussed. The results show that the fabricated coatings are uneven, with average thickness of 60 μm. In the process of oxidation, oxygen is imported into the inner coatings by the gaps existed in the Ti coatings, which makes the Ti particles oxidize from surface to core, finally the films with TiO2 + Ti composite microstructure are obtained. The films oxidized at 500 °C have the best photocatalytic performance with the degradation rate of methyl orange solution 79.08 %, this owing to the existence of anatase and the TiO2+Ti composite microstructure. The result will provide theoretical basis for the fabrication of efficient photocatalytic film.
The NiO/TiO2 composite films with the NiO content of 3 %, 5 %, 10 %, 13 %, 15 % and 20 % were prepared by mechanical coating technology and subsequent oxidation process. The composition and microstructure of the films were analyzed by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The photocatalytic activity was evaluated and the effects of the content of NiO on microstructure and photocatalytic activity of the films were studied. The results show that NiO particles are dispersed in the Ti coatings, and the NiO concentration in the inner layer of the coatings is higher than in the outer layer. With the addition of NiO in the NiO/Ti coating, the ductility is deteriorated and the thickness is reduced of the NiO/Ti coatings. The films with NiO/TiO2/Ti composite microstructure are obtained by the oxidation of NiO/Ti coatings. Photocatalytic efficiency of the films is obviously enhanced with the help of the p-n junction heterostructure in the NiO/TiO2 films. The optimum content of NiO is about 13 %, and the degradation rate of methyl orange solution reaches the maximum value of 88.44 %.
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