APPLICATION OF MAGNETIC CATALYSTS TO THE CATALYTIC WET PEROXIDE OXIDATION (CWPO) OF INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER CONTAINING NON BIODEGRADABLE ORGANIC POLLUTANTS

Abstract

A new ferromagnetic -Al2O3-supported iron catalyst has been prepared and its activity and stability have been compared with those of a previous iron-based conventional catalyst and with the traditional homogeneous Fenton process in the oxidation of chlorophenols. The use of solid catalysts improved significantly the efficiency on the use of H2O2, achieving higher mineralization degrees. The magnetic catalyst led to significantly higher oxidation rates than the conventional one due to the presence of both Fe (II) and Fe (III). On the other hand, the use of a catalyst with magnetic properties is of interest, since it allows rapid recovery after treatment using a magnetic field. Moreover, it showed a high stability with fairly low iron leaching (<1%) upon CWPO runs. An additional clear advantage of this new catalyst is its easy separation and recovery from the reaction medium by applying an external magnetic field.

Keywords

• advanced oxidation processes
• magnetic catalyst
• CWPO
• chlorophenol