Cu(5%)/Al2O3 catalytic performance on the phenol wet oxidation with H2O2: Influence of the calcination temperature

MARCHESINI, F. ALBANA; BRUSSINO, PAULA; BRUSSINO, PAULA; DEVARD, ALEJANDRA; DEVARD, ALEJANDRA; ULLA, MARÍA ALICIA; ULLA, MARÍA ALICIA; MARCHESINI, F. ALBANA

Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering

Elsevier

Año: 2019 vol. 7 p. 1 - 7

2213-3437

In this work the catalytic performance of Cu(5%)/Al2O3 catalysts prepared by wetimpregnation and calcined at three different temperatures, 400 ºC (WI 400), 650 ºC(WI 650) and 900 ºC (WI 900), was analyzed. These materials were tested in thephenol wet oxidation reaction using H2O2 (0.22 or 0.88 M) as an oxidizing agent,1000 mg/L of phenol at 70 °C and atmospheric pressure. A complete conversion ofphenol and a high extent of phenol mineralization were obtained for the threecatalysts. Surface Cu2+ species suffered a reduction process during the catalyticreaction due to the drop of the pH value and a fraction of the reduced copper wasleached to the liquid phase. Despite this, the increment in the calcinationtemperature produced a decrease in this reduction extent, inducing a protectiveeffect to the Cu2+ species through the interaction between these and the support.Moreover, the existence of Cu-Al-O interactions not only diminished Cu2+species reduction but also their leaching. Even though the WI 900 catalystpresented the lower leaching extent (36%), the remaining amount of copper in thesolution still exceeded the allowed limit value for drinking water (1 mg Cu/L).