Simultaneous formation of nanoscale zero-valent iron and degradation of nitrobenzene in wastewater in an impinging stream-rotating packed bed reactor

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A novel process based on an impinging stream-rotating packed bed (IS-RPB) was proposed for preparing nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) and degrading nitrobenzene (NB) simultaneously. The obtained NZVI particles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy experiments (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The experimental results showed that the NB removal efficiency increased with the augment of liquid flow rate and initial reactant concentrations. The NZVI prepared with Fe2+ as an iron source had high reactive activity and its removal efficiency of NB could be maintained at a high level in acidic or a weakly basic condition (pH<8). Compared with the traditionally mixing method, the IS-RPB could reduce the iron dosing amounts by 49.6% and the prepared NZVI could achieve 100% efficiency of the NB removal. Considering the operational cost and treatment efficiency, the optimal ratio between NaBH4 and iron concentration could be in the range of 2.0–3.0. Through the strong micro-mixing intensification performance of IS-RPB, the reported approach has compensated for the shortcomings of the traditional nanoparticles production such as complicated procedures and the potential oxidation of Fe0. This study encourages further optimization and development of the high gravity system towards industrial production of NZVI and large-scale NB-containing wastewater treatment.