Application of Luminous Textile Coated by TiO₂ For Photocatalytic Removal of Acetic Acid, Formaldehyde and Toluene from Indoor Air

Luminous textile coated by silica and TiO₂ is studied for indoor air treatment. The textile aging induced by UV exposure in the presence of TiO₂ coating was studied, showing a good durability of the textile after protection by Silica layer unlike silica‐free textile. Interesting photocatalytic activity was achieved for the photocatalytic luminous textile to remove three different VOCs in air which are acetic acid (AA), formaldehyde and toluene. The effect of number of photons and residence time was carefully highlighted for both TiO₂ P25 in powder or supported in the luminous textile. Then, a comparative study, between the classic system composed of TiO₂ powder and the innovative system integrating photocatalyst and light, was described. The advantage of the photocatalytic luminous textile is their performance associated to an important energy gain due to the use of one UV‐LED to homogeneously irradiate an important surface of textile allowing the development of compact photocatalytic device.

Keywords: Luminous textile; Optical fibers; UV irradiation; Photocatalysis; VOCs degradation

Abbreviations: LED: Light‐Emitting Diode; UV: Ultraviolet; VOCs: Volatile Organic Compounds; AOP Advanced Oxidation Processes; PMMA: Polymethyl Methacrylate; CCD: Charge Coupled Device; GC: Gaz Chromatography; ppmv: parts per million by volume