Mathematical model evaluating for degradation of azo dye in contaminated water by UV/persulfate process

Abstract In the present study, the photooxidative degradation of Acid Red 14 (AR 14) was investigated in the UV/persulfate process, and the results of the degradation rate of AR 14 were parametrically represented by ordinary differential equations to find mathematical model for the degradation rate of AR 14 in this process. Our experimental observations led to a model for AR 14 degradation in the UV/persulfate system that could be used to predict removal efficiency by changes of S2O82− (X1) and dye concentration (X2), pH (X3), temperature (X4) and also distance of UV lamp from solution (X5). It was found that persulfate and dye concentrations were the most important parameters for AR 14 degradation rate. Moreover, the results showed that the degradation rate was in good agreement with the first‐order kinetics for all the parameter values studied. Moreover, the results of the mathematical model agree well with the experimental values (R2 = 0.96). Our findings in this study showed that degradation efficiency of UV/S2O82− process for AR 14 was obtained as 98%. Therefore, this model could be applicable before scaling up the AR 14 degradation using UV/persulfate process.