Fe2O3/Al2O3systems for phenol catalytic wet peroxidation

C. DI LUCA; F. IVORRA; P. MASSA; P.HAURE; R. FENOGLIO

Rio de Janeiro

Encuentro; VI Encontro sobre Aplicações Ambientais de Processos Oxidativos Avançados EPOA; 2011

COPPE- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) have become recognized as promising alternatives for the removal of hazardous chemicals in aqueous solution (Safarzadeh-Amiri et al., 1996; Jones, 1999; Centi et al., 2000;). Among different pollutants, phenol is frequently chosen as a model compound for non-conventional detoxification studies, due to its high toxicity and poor biodegradability (Esplugas et al., 2002; Busca et al., 2008). A variety of AOPs have been applied to treat wastewaters containing phenol, including the classic system discovered by Fenton more than a century ago (Fenton, 1894). However, the application of conventional Fenton reaction is seriously affected by the typical problems of homogeneous catalysis (catalyst separation, regeneration) and is also limited to an acid-range controlled pH (Gogate et al., 2004; Busca et al., 2008). Different heterogeneous Fenton systems have been proposed using transition metals supported over different solid materials in the Catalytic Wet Peroxide Oxidation (CWPO) reactions (Busca et al., 2008; Massa et al. 2008; Xiang et al., 2009). However, only a few phenol oxidation studies used iron species supported on alumina (Al-Hayek et al., 1990; Bautista et al., 2010).We propose to study Fe2O3/Al2O3 systems for the oxidation of concentrated phenol solutions (5000 ppm) at mild operation conditions (atmospheric pressure and 70ºC), and the effect of major process variables, such as catalyst loading, phenol concentration or H2O2/phenol molar ratio.