Removal of recalcitrant organic compounds from an industrial complex effluent by heterogeneous Fenton-type treatment

COVINICH, L.G.; FELISSIA, F.E.; FENOGLIO, R.J.; AREA, M.C.

CLEAN - Soil, Air, Water

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co

Lugar: Weinheim; Año: 2016

Because of their chemical complexity, industrial chemimechanical pulping effluents are evaporated and burned, in spite of the high associated cost involved in these processes. The aim of this study was to remove recalcitrant compounds from thiskind of wastewaters using a Fenton-type treatment. The main parameters involvedin the process and their influence on the results were determined. Homemadecatalysts based on CuO, Fe2O3, NiO and ZnO, supported onγ-Al2O3 have been tested for catalytic oxidation, andCuO/ γ-Al2O3 catalysts showed the greatest effect on TO Creduction (52.7%). A series of two-level factorial experiments was subsequently applied to evaluate the most favorable range of conditions for CuO/ γ-Al2O3application. The studied variables were hydrogen peroxide concentration([H2O2], g/L), active phase content (metal oxide supported on alumina, %), mass of catalyst (metal oxide/alumina system, g), and reaction temperature (°C). The highest reduction of all parameters was obtained at the superior level of all variables with CuO/ γ-Al2O3, achieving reductions of COD and TOC between 40 and 50%. Increasing catalyst mass did not produce additional benefit. This variable has a significant effect only on the reduction of aromatic compounds. At its low level, reduction in aromatic content exceeded 80%. Color reduction was influenced only by temperature (maximum reduction of 90%).