Phenolic Wastewater Treatment by Microwave-Induced H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>-Fe (III)-Cu (II)/γ-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Catalytic Oxidation Process

Abstract

To achieve efficient removal of phenolic pollutants in water, the catalyst of Fe (III)-Cu (II)/γ-Al2O3 was prepared. In the presence of Fe (III)-Cu (II)/γ-Al2O3, microwave-induced hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) catalytic oxidation process was conducted for the treatment of synthetic wastewater containing PNP, a representative of phenolic pollutants. Effectiveness of the process and factors influencing PNP removal were investigated and results showed microwave-induced H2O2-Fe (III)-Cu (II)/γ-Al2O3 process could achieve 99.41% PNP removal percentage, corresponding to 77.9% TOC removal in a given condition. The process remained effective in the 2-8 pH range with high reusability of Fe (III)-Cu (II)/γ-Al2O3 catalyst. The kinetics study showed microwave-induced H2O2-Fe (III)-Cu (II)/γ-Al2O3 process could be divided into microwave induction stage and catalytic oxidation stage, both of which fitted first-order kinetics, with reaction rate constants of 0.0453 min-1 and 4.7552 min-1 respectively.