Photocatalytic Degradation Of Benzene Research Articles

Innovative Waste Benzene Remediation by Enhanced Photocatalytic with TiO2/Fe3O4-Based Material Supported by Bentonite in Batch and Continuous System

Photocatalytic degradation of benzene is a viable and environmentally friendly method with significant economic advantages. In this study, a composite photocatalyst consisting of TiO2 and Fe3O4 supported by bentonite was synthesized for benzene degradation. The objective was to assess the impact of critical parameters in both batch and continuous systems. The results showed that in batch system, the effects of initial benzene concentration and pH were explored, showing optimal degradation at an initial concentration of 400 ppm and pH 5. Under these conditions, an impressive % removal value of 95.334 % was achieved. Meanwhile, continuous system analysis showed a negative correlation between feed flow rate and % removal, with the most effective degradation occurring at a flow rate of 15 mL/min. The study also delivered into the kinetics of benzene degradation in batch system, obtaining a first-order reaction based on Langmuir-Hinshelwood model with a reaction rate constant (kr) of 85.68175 mg/(L.min) and an adsorption rate constant (K) of 0.0003002 L/mg. The adsorption model was observed to follow the Langmuir model. These results contributed to the optimization of photocatalytic benzene degradation processes, offering insights into the critical factors affecting efficiency in both batch and continuous systems. The established optimum conditions and kinetic parameters provided a foundation for future advancements in the design and application of composite photocatalysts for benzene remediation. HIGHLIGHTS Benzene is a known carcinogen, posing a significant health risk to humans Benzene can contaminate air and water sources, leading to widespread environmental pollution. Its volatile nature allows it to easily evaporate into the air and dissolve in water, contributing to long-term environmental hazards Photodegradation of benzene is highlighted as an environmentally friendly method, suggesting a potentially sustainable solution for benzene remediation A Composite photocatalyst of TiO2 and Fe3O4 supported by bentonite indicate a tailored approach for efficient benzene degradation Results from batch system analysis reveal impressive benzene removal rates, with optimal conditions identified at an initial concentration of 400 ppm and pH 5, providing practical insights for effective treatment GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Microwave- and Formaldehyde-Assisted Synthesis of Ag-Ag3PO4 with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity for the Degradation of Rhodamine B Dye and Crude Oil Fractions.

The release of crude oil and water-soluble dyes into our marine environment is a major global problem. An efficient semiconductor Ag–Ag3PO4 photocatalyst was synthesized using formaldehyde as a reducing agent to form surface active Ag on Ag3PO4 under microwave radiation for heating, and its potential in destroying environmental pollutants has been examined. The diffuse reflectance spectroscopy of Ag–Ag3PO4 revealed an enhanced absorption in the visible light region. The rate of photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B by Ag–Ag3PO4 was over 4-fold compared to Ag3PO4. The potential application of Ag–Ag3PO4 in oil spill remediation was also examined through photocatalytic degradation of benzene, n-hexane, and 1:1 v/v benzene/methanol crude oil-soluble fractions. UV–vis and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of the crude oil components after visible light irradiation showed excellent degradation. The photocatalytic efficiency enhancement of Ag–Ag3PO4 is attributed to the excellent electron trapping of silver nanoparticles deposited on the surface of Ag3PO4. This work will motivate future studies to develop recyclable visible light photocatalysts for many applications.

Carbon-modified titanium oxide materials for photocatalytic water and air decontamination

Titanium oxide-based materials with different physical and chemical features were synthetized aiming at removing organic pollutants from both water and air media. The materials were produced employing two different heating methodologies (thermal, T and hydrothermal, H) at distinct temperatures resulting in porous materials. These materials were also modified with either graphene oxide (GO) or carbon nanotubes (CNT), using an in-situ approach. All materials were tested as photocatalysts using ultra-violet (UV), visible (Vis) and solar radiation. Rhodamine B (RhB) and benzene were used as representative pollutants in water and air, respectively.The addition of carbon to the catalysts improved the removal of both pollutants. In the case of the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B, under both UV and Vis light, it was found that, the materials containing carbon nanostructures allowed the highest degradation degree, while the photosensitisation phenomenon became negligible. The best catalyst is the one containing CNT (2.98 wt% of C) and thermally treated at 300 °C (T300_CNT). This material showed higher degradation ability than the commercial TiO2 nanopowder Degussa P25 (P25) under Vis light. Regarding benzene removal, the samples thermally treated at 300 °C and modified with CNT and GO (T300_CNT and T300_GO, respectively) outperformed Degussa P25. The former material was successfully reused in the photocatalytic degradation of benzene over 6 consecutive cycles.

Photocatalytic degradation of benzene over different morphology BiPO4: Revealing the significant contribution of high–energy facets and oxygen vacancies

Wide–band–gap BiPO4 (BPO) is a promising candidate for photocatalytic degradation of highly stable benzene exhaust. To reveal the effect of the morphology and the oxygen vacancies of BPO on the degradation of benzene, a series of monoclinic BPO samples with the common reported rod– (BPO–R), sheet– (BPO–S), urchin– (BPO–U), and dendrite–like (BPO–D) morphology were synthesized and some oxygen vacancies were introduced in BPO–D. The samples were then used for photocatalytic degradation of gaseous benzene and the mineralization rate of benzene over the samples decreased in order BPO–D (258.6)> BPO–S (48.0)> BPO–U (21.0)> BPO–R (7.3 μmol h–1 m–2). BPO–D with a dendritic morphology showed the highest activity. The highly energetic (002), (012), and (031) facets and the oxygen vacancies make great contributions to the high performance of BPO–D, which favor the absorption of BPO–D in long–wavelength range, the adsorption of reactants, the formation of O2–· and eventually the interfacial degradation of benzene. The ESR and scavengers tests indicated that O2–· and the photogenerated holes are the main active species responsible for the degradation of benzene. This work suggests that increasing the proportion of high–energy crystal facets and introduction of oxygen vacancies are effective strategies to improve the photocatalytic performance of BPO.

Ozone‐Assisted photocatalytic degradation of benzene using nano‐zinc oxide impregnated granular activated carbon (ZnO–GAC) in a continuous fluidized bed reactor

Benzene is one of the volatile organic compounds, exposure to which causes different complications including coughs, headache, dizziness, and even cancer. Therefore, methods are required to remove benzene from polluted air. In this study, for the first time, benzene degradation was examined using photocatalytic ozonation process in the presence of nano‐zinc oxide impregnated granular activated carbon (ZnO–GAC) in a continuous fluidized bed reactor. The experiments were performed with the aim of investigating the effect of factors including the ratio of superficial gas velocity to the minimum fluidization velocity (), initial benzene concentration, relative humidity, catalyst dosage, bed temperature, ozone dosage, and intensity of UV lamp in removing benzene from the air. The results of this study indicated that the minimum fluidization velocity (Umf) was obtained as 0.47 L/min, while benzene removal efficiency reached its maximum at = 2.5. Addition of ozone to the ZnO‐UV/GAC process enhanced the process efficiency considerably. With elevation of benzene concentration from 50 to 300 ppm, removal efficiency by UV/ZnO–GAC process declined from 84.14 to 45.12%, while with O3/ZnO–GAC/UV, it decreased from 93.8 to 68.78%. The range of the optimal humidity for benzene removal in both processes was obtained as 30–35%. With elevation of ZnO–GAC dosage from 0 to 10 mg, benzene removal efficiency increased from 42.07 to 70.24 and from 60.9 to 89.57% using UV/ZnO–GAC and O3/ZnO–GAC/UV processes, respectively. Furthermore, the efficiency of O3/ZnO–GAC was directly related to bed temperature, while UV/ZnO–GAC and UV/O3/ZnO–GAC processes were inversely related. Eventually, the removal efficiency of the processes had a direct relation with the ozone dosage and UV intensity. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38:e13082, 2019

Enhanced photocatalytic decomposition of VOCs by visible-driven photocatalyst combined Cu-TiO2 and activated carbon fiber

Abstract Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) threaten the environment and human health, as many of them are highly toxic and carcinogenic. For this reason, a larger of VOCs control techniques have developed. This study, Cu-TiO2 combine with activated carbon fiber (Cu-Ti/ACF) was prepared and used as visible light-driven photocatalyst material for removal of toxic VOCs (benzene and toluene) in aqueous solution. The Cu-Ti/ACF was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), specific surface area (BET), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV–vis spectrophotometer. The adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of benzene and toluene was test under different condition including the solution pH (4.0–10), catalyst dose (0.01 to 0.5 g), reaction time (0–180 min) and initial concentration ranged of 10–200 mg/L. Under the visible light, the degradation efficiencies of benzene and toluene were up to 81.2 and 97.8%, respectively. Reusability of Cu-Ti/ACF was tested and the degradation efficiencies for benzene and toluene were not affected after three cycles. The introduction of CuO and TiO2 onto ACF effectively extended the spectral response of TiO2 to the visible light. On basis of these evidences, the mechanism degradation of benzene and toluene by Cu-Ti/ ACF was proposed. The paper suggests that the Cu-Ti/ACF has potential for degradation of benzene and toluene in aqueous solution.

Assessment of Commercial Active Ceramic Tiles on Benzene Degradation for the Pollution Control of Indoor Atmospheric Buildings

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) constitutes an important class of air pollutants, and benzene is one of the main contaminants of indoor air pollution. Among the methods for the treatment of environments with a high VOCs concentration is the photocatalytic oxidation by TiO2 (anatase) ceramic coated surfaces. The effectiveness of VOCs photodegradation studies using active ceramic tiles made in laboratory is well reported in the literature. However, this has not been reported using commercial tiles, although active ceramics are sold for such a function. In this context, this study proposed the assessment of commercial active ceramic tiles capacity in the photocatalytic degradation of benzene in indoor air. The development of this work arose from two questions: a) if the commercial active ceramic tiles are efficient in the VOCs degradation as the manufacturers claim; b) if they are able to degrade VOCs in indoor building environments. Experiments were conducted in laboratory’s scale, using an adapted simulation chamber. The volatilized benzene entered in contact with the commercial ceramic tile under fluorescent light and ultraviolet (UV) light of 365 nm. Samples of the chamber internal air were collected by adsorption on polydimethylsiloxane fibres in headspace technique (SPME-HS). The evaluation of the benzene degradation occurred by gas chromatography analysis with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The characterization of commercial active ceramic samples occurred by techniques of X-Ray Diffraction Powder (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS). Results showed that, under the experimental conditions, the commercial active ceramic tile was not capable of the benzene photocatalytic oxidation. The ceramic characterization detected very low quantity of TiO2 on ceramic samples, being this fact attributed as the main responsible for the ceramic photocatalytic inactiveness.

Synthesis process and photocatalytic properties of BiOBr nanosheets for gaseous benzene.

A series of nano-BiOBr were prepared by an effective hydrothermal method in the presence of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and ethanol at different calcination temperatures. The as-prepared nano-BiOBr samples were characterized by measuring the specific area (S BET), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectrum, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show that the calcination temperature has an important impact on the morphology and microstructure of BiOBr. The nano-BiOBr calcined at 120°C showed excellent photocatalytic degradation properties for benzene, with photocatalytic degradation rate of 75% for benzene under UV irradiation for 90min, and removal efficiency of benzene was significantly enhanced by using nano-BiOBr catalyst compared to UV irradiation alone. BiOBr catalyst possessed good photocatalytic activity even after three consecutive photocatalytic reaction cycles, illustrating its excellent stability. The photocatalytic degradation of benzene followed the first-order kinetics, and the good catalytic capability of nano-BiOBr catalyst can be attributed to its crystalline, hierarchical nanostructure and nanosheet thickness.

Highly efficient visible-light driven photocatalyst with enhanced charge separation prepared by annealing continuously in ammonia and vacuum

A highly efficient visible light driven photocatalyst was prepared by annealing samples continuously in ammonia and vacuum. The dependence of photocatalytic activity on calcination temperature was investigated. The effect of annealing temperature on crystal structure, particle size, chemical composition and optical absorbance of TiO2 nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy and UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, respectively. The photocatalytic degradation of benzene under visible light illumination demonstrated that the photocatalyst annealed at 600°C (NV-TiO2-T600) possessed the best photocatalytic property. The excellent photocatalytic activity of NV-TiO2-T600 was attributed to the high crystallinity, strong light-harvesting and enhanced separation of photo-generated electron–hole pairs. The vacuum treatment had a positive effect on enhancing charge separation. In addition, the increased amount of surface oxygen vacancy might be the crucial factor for the improvement of photocatalytic activity.

Solvothermal synthesis of N-doped TiO2 nanoparticles using different nitrogen sources, and their photocatalytic activity for degradation of benzene

Anatase-brookite mixed-phase N-doped TiO2 (N-TiO2) nanoparticles were synthesized through a solvothermal method using different nitrogen sources. The resulting samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, specific surface area measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and standard and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The effects of the different nitrogen sources on phase composition, particle size, microstructure, and specific surface area are investigated. The photocatalytic activity of the TiO2 samples was evaluated through photocatalytic degradation of gaseous benzene under UV-light irradiation. N-TiO2 prepared using hydrazine hydrate achieved the highest photocatalytic performance in all the samples studied (including the commercial P25). Different intermediates during the photocatalytic degradation of benzene over HNT were identified by GC-MS analysis. A detailed reaction mechanism was proposed to explain their formation as intermediates in the reaction. Moreover, the photocatalytic activity of the nanoparticles remained almost unchanged after 15 gaseous-benzene degradation test cycles.

Solvothermal synthesis of mesoporous TiO2: The effect of morphology, size and calcination progress on photocatalytic activity in the degradation of gaseous benzene

The photocatalytic activity of a mesoporous anatase TiO2 catalyst, which was prepared using a solvothermal method, was studied for the degradation of gaseous benzene under UV irradiation. The optimal synthesis conditions, which utilised acetic acid/butyl titanate (5:1 v/v) with calcination at 400°C, were determined, and nanopores in the prepared samples were found. The newly prepared TiO2 powders were characterised using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) N2 adsorption, transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) and high resolution transmission electronic microscopy (HRTEM). The effects of the different morphologies, sizes and calcination temperatures on the photocatalytic activity of the prepared samples were discussed in detail. Nano-sized TiO2 particles that were synthesised under optimal conditions show the largest specific surface area (130.3m2/g), which is nearly two times that of Degussa P25. These particles also have the highest efficiency, which is significantly higher than was observed with Degussa P25. A modified Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetic model was used considering a pseudo-steady state approach in order to explain the dependence of the apparent reaction rate constant and the apparent Langmuir adsorption constant on light intensity. Different intermediates in the samples used during the photocatalytic degradation of benzene have been identified using GC–MS analysis. A detailed reaction mechanism is proposed to explain their formation.

Photocatalytic degradation of benzene in gas phase by nanostructured BiPO4 catalysts

A rod-shaped BiPO4 photocatalyst was prepared by a simple hydrothermal method for light-induced catalytic degradation of stable aromatic compounds such as benzene in gas phase under ambient conditions. The samples were subjected to various technical characterizations including X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV/vis and FTIR spectrum, to determine the crystal structure, morphology, and optical properties of the as-prepared photocatalysts. Results indicate that BiPO4 exhibits much higher photocatalytic activity and stability under UV light irradiation than that of commercial TiO2 (Degussa P25) in the degradation of benzene to CO2. The active radical species involved in the degradation reactions over BiPO4 photocatalyst have been investigated by the spin-trapping electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra and a photoluminescence technique. Theoretical calculations reveal that BiPO4 contains highly-dispersive conduction bands, enabling high mobility of the photo-generated carries and therefore leading to fast charge transfer and separation.

Photocatalytic degradation of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) using transition metal-doped titanium dioxide immobilized on fiberglass cloth

Transition metal (Fe, V and W)-doped TiO2 was synthesized via the solvothermal technique and immobilized onto fiberglass cloth (FGC) for uses in photocatalytic decomposition of gaseous volatile organic compounds—benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX)—under visible light. Results were compared to that of the standard commercial pure TiO2 (P25) coated FGC. All doped samples exhibit higher visible light catalytic activity than the pure TiO2. The V-doped sample shows the highest photocatalytic activity followed by the W- and Fe-doped samples. The UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra reveal that the V-doped sample has the highest visible light absorption followed by the W- and Fe-doped samples. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicate that all doped samples contain both anatase and rutile phases with the majority (>80%) being anatase. No new peaks associated with dopant oxides can be observed, suggesting that the transition metal (TM) dopants are well mixed into the TiO2 lattice, or are below the detection limit of the XRD. The X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectra of the Ti K-edge transition indicate that most Ti ions are in a tetravalent state with octahedral coordination, but with increased lattice distortion from Fe- to V- and W-doped samples. Our results show that the TM-doped TiO2 were successfully synthesized and immobilized onto flexible fiberglass cloth suitable for treatment of gaseous organic pollutants under visible light.

Microwave Hydrothermal Synthesis of Calcium Antimony Oxide Hydroxide with High Photocatalytic Activity toward Benzene

A nanocrystalline CaSb2O5(OH)2 photocatalyst synthesized from CaCl2 and K2H2Sb2O7 was used to degrade benzene in the gas phase for the first time. The obtained sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction, N2 sorption-desorption, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, electron spin resonance, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The CaSb2O5(OH)2 sample had an average particle size of approximately 8 nm, a specific surface area of 101.8 m2 g(-1), and a band gap of 4.6 eV. Photocatalytic activity of the sample was mainly evaluated by the degradation of benzene in an O2 gas stream under ultraviolet light irradiation. The results demonstrated that the photoactivity of CaSb2O5(OH)2 was higher than that of commercial TiO2 (P25, Degussa Co.). In the photocatalytic degradation of benzene, it finally reached a steady conversion ratio of 29%. CaSb2O5(OH)2 has also exhibited activity toward other aromatic organic compounds. A possible mechanism of photocatalysis over CaSb2O5(OH)2 nanocrystals was proposed.

Significant roles of oxygen and unbound •OH radical in phenol formation during photo-catalytic degradation of benzene on TiO2 suspension in aqueous system

Studies on photo-catalytic degradation of benzene using TiO2 photo-catalyst as a suspension in water is reported. Degradation studies have been carried out using 350 nm UV light. Phenol, a photo-catalytic product of benzene, was monitored under varying experimental conditions such as amount of TiO2, concentration of benzene, photolysis time, ambient (air, O2, Ar, N2O and N2O–O2 mixture), etc. The phenol yields in both aerated and O2-purged systems increased with the photolysis time. In contrast to oxygenated systems, the yields of phenol in deoxygenated (viz. Ar-purged and N2O-purged) systems were quite low (~30 μM) and remained steady. H2O2 yields in all these systems were also monitored, and found lower than an order of magnitude as compared to phenol yields for the respective systems. The rate of phenol production in aerated 1 mM benzene solution containing 0.05% TiO2 suspension was evaluated at 12.3 μM min−1 which is lower than the rate obtained in an O2-saturated system (22.4 μM min−1). The low yields of phenol in both Ar- and N2O-purged systems, and also the increasing trends in oxygenated systems, together reveal that, for the phenol formation with an enhanced rate, oxygen is essential. In the present study, it is implied that the photo-generated hole, which is mainly an •OH radical, is either freely available in the aqueous phase or migrates to the aqueous phase from the catalyst surface, to react with benzene to produce HO-adduct radical. Later, following reaction with oxygen, the adduct produces phenol. On the other hand, h+ and surface adsorbed •OH radical, being trapped/bonded due to rigid association with the catalyst surface, were not able to generate phenol under similar experimental conditions. The mechanism of phenol formation with TiO2 photolysis in an aqueous system is rechecked, on the basis of present results on h+/surface adsorbed •OH radical/unbound •OH radical scavenging by benzene, collectively with previous reports on various systems.

Photocatalytic Degradation of Benzene in Air Streams in an Optical Fiber Photoreactor

AbstractPhotocatalytic decomposition of gaseous benzene at room temperature was studied with a differential‐type optical fiber reactor using TiO2 as the photocatalyst. The effects of humidity, UV light intensity and benzene concentration on the performance of the reactor for benzene decomposition were investigated. It was observed that both the apparent quantum yields of benzene decomposition and CO2 production were superior to the traditional photoreactor, especially under limited UV light supply. In addition, deactivation of the TiO2 catalyst heavily relied on the humidity contained in the airflow. Purging with ozone‐containing air rapidly decomposed the organic residues adhering to the TiO2 surface and regenerated the deactivated catalyst within 30 minutes.

Study on photocatalytic degradation of several volatile organic compounds

The gas-phase photolytic and photocatalytic reactions of several aromatics and chlorohydrocarbons were investigated. The experimental results revealed that chlorohydrocarbons like trichloroethylene, dichloromethane and chloroform could be degraded through either photolysis or photocatalysis under irradiation of germicidal lamp, and the elimination rate of chlorohydrocarbons through photolysis was quicker than that through photocatalysis. UV light from a germicidal lamp could directly lead to degradation of toluene but could hardly act on benzene. The photodegradation rate for these volatile organic compounds (VOCs) through photolysis followed an order: trichloroethylene > chloroform > dichloromethane > toluene > benzene > carbon tetrachloride, and through photocatalysis followed: trichloroethylene > chloroform > toluene > dichloromethane > benzene > carbon tetrachloride. Besides, a series of modified TiO 2 photocatalysts were prepared by depositing noble metal, doping with transition metal ion, recombining with metal oxides and modifying with super strong acid. Activity of these catalysts was examined upon photocatalytic degradation of benzene as a typical compound that was hard to be degraded. It indicated that these modification methods could promote the activity of TiO 2 catalyst to different extent. The apparent zero-order reaction rate constant for degrading benzene over SnO 2/TiO 2 catalyst had the highest value, which was nearly three times as that over P25 TiO 2. But it simultaneously had the lowest rate for mineralizing the objective compound. In spite that Fe 3+/TiO 2 catalyst behaved slightly less active than SnO 2/TiO 2 for degradation of benzene, the mineralization rate over Fe 3+/TiO 2 was the highest one among the prepared catalysts.

Photocatalytic degradation of benzene on zeolite-incorporated TiO 2 film

Zeolite powder was incorporated into the TiO 2 film. Their photoactivities were evaluated for the gas phase degradation of benzene. Seven zeolite samples were used in this study and each enhanced the photocatalytic degradation. Humidity in the gas sample increased the degradation, but suppressed the adsorption of benzene to the TiO 2 film. It was noted that the photoactivity was inversely proportional to the silica/alumina ratio of zeolite, whereas adsorption increased with this ratio. It was suggested that the adsorption of water onto zeolite contributes to the enhancement of benzene degradation.

The gas-phase photocatalytic mineralization of benzene on porous titania-based catalysts

Photocatalytic degradation of benzene in oxygen-containing gaseous feed streams was investigated using titania and platinized (0.1 wt.-%) titania photocatalysts. The titania catalyst was synthesized using sol-gel techniques. Results of this study indicate that, when using this particular photocatalyst, benzene was oxidized to carbon dioxide and water without forming any detectable organic reaction products in the reactor effluent, although only some of the benzene reacted. Both the overall conversion of benzene and its mineralization were improved by platinizing the titania. When the titania catalyst was platinized, both photocatalytic and thermocatalytic reactions were promoted. Rates of photocatalytic reactions were significantly enhanced at reaction temperatures between 70 and 90°C, while at temperatures above 90°C the rates of thermocatalytic oxidation reactions were noticeably increased. It proved possible to obtain the continuous and essentially complete mineralization of benzene by using the platinized titania catalyst and optimizing such parameters as the reaction temperature, space time, and the concentrations of oxygen and water vapor in the feed stream.