Effect Factors on the Degradation of MTBE with Fenton Reagent

Abstract

The fundamentals of the Fenton reagent-based degradation methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in batch reactors under initially anaerobic conditions are discussed in this work, and the objective of the study was to elucidate the effect of the FR to MTBE molar ratio, pH, initial MTBE concentration, H 2 O 2 concentration and inorganic anions on MTBE decomposition. The results show that the added amount of FR proved to be an important controlling parameter of the overall MTBE degradation efficiency. Under the conditions investigated in the present study at pH 3.0 and equimolar ratio of Fe 2 + to H 2 O 2 , FR to MTBE molar ratio of 6:1 was the minimum required to achieve complete MTBE degradation. The MTBE decay curves at four different initial MTBE concentrations with a constant initial FR concentration, the decomposition ratio arrived by 90.8%, 82.3%, 71.6% and 41.8%, while the initial MTBE concentration at 10.0, 20.0, 40.0 and 60 mg/L, respectively. The amount of hydrogen peroxide has a positive influence on the degradation rate, at low peroxide levels, increasing the amount of hydrogen peroxide results in the generation of more hydroxyl radicals, and thereby enhances the decay rate of MTBE. Moreover, the Fenton reaction is extremely sensitive to the inorganic anions present in the solution. In the case of the PO 4 3 − ions, oxidation is clearly inhibited, but the addition of SO 4 2 − influences the reaction to a much smaller extent, the anions suppress the decomposition of MTBE in the following sequence: PO 4 3 − >HPO 4 2 − >H 2 PO 4 − >Cl − >SO 4 2 − .