CATALYTIC-OXIDATION IN SUPERCRITICAL WATER

Recently, catalytic oxidation in supercritical water (SCW) has receive d considerable research attention. The major thrust of this current re search effort is attributable to the rapid development of supercritica l water oxidation (SCWO) as an innovative wastewater treatment technol ogy. The incentives of catalyst-enhanced processes may include increas ed reaction rates, reduced residence times and temperatures, and optim ized reaction pathways that are otherwise difficult to achieve through noncatalytic processes. However, the databases associated with the us e of catalysts in SCWO are limited. The purpose of this paper is to (1 ) review catalytic enhancement and technology as related to SCWO; (2) analyze effects of SCW on catalysts and catalytic SCWO processes; and (3) present a catalyst development strategy for SCWO-related applicati ons. Catalyst activity and stability (in terms of reaction kinetics, s urface phenomena, and phase behavior of catalysts in SCW) are emphasiz ed. The paper presents a useful database, provides guidelines for cata lyst selection, and illustrates how effective use of catalyst may enha nce SCWO process development.