CATALYST SYSTEMS FOR THE OXIDATION OF PHENOL IN WATER

MASSA; AYUDE; FENOGLIO; GONZALEZ; HAURE

Sante Fe, Argentina

Congreso; 3rd MERCOSUR Congress on Process Systems Engineering and 1st MERCOSUR Congress on Chemical Engineering; 2001

The oxidation of phenol solutions (5000 ppm) has been studied in a semibatch autoclave reactor. Activity screening experiments were performed over two commercial catalysts: CuO+ZnO (Topsoe) and CuO+NiO (Engelhard), and CuO/Al2O3 prepared in our laboratory. Isothermal runs between 393 and 423K were carried out under an oxygen pressure of 7 atm. Phenol conversion as well as pH and COD measurements were recorded. Almost complete phenol conversion was obtained for all catalysts. However, conversion to CO2 was only partial. Laboratory prepared catalysts gave  the best performance in terms of activity and selectivity with the lowest induction period.  Stability tests showed that catalysts remained moderately active after 60 hrs of operation. A simple kinetic model fits experimental results.