The application of sodium percarbonate (SPC) catalyzed by FeOCl under visible light (FeOCl/SPC/Vis), is shown in this paper. The reaction kinetics, degradation mechanism, and catalyst stability were thoroughly investigated using Rhodamine B (RhB) as a simulated pollutant. Experimental results show that the degradation rate of RhB increases due to the participation of visible light. The valence change of iron species in the FeOCl catalyst, before and after the reaction, were characterized by XPS. It is found that the redox cycle of iron species can be accelerated under visible light. This activates SPC to generate radicals, effectively. (C) 2018 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.