PARTIAL WET OXIDATION OF P-COUMARIC ACID - OXIDATION INTERMEDIATES, REACTION PATHWAYS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR WASTE-WATER TREATMENT

p-Coumaric acid is representative of the polyphenolic fraction typical ly found in olive oil processing and wine-distillery wastewaters. The batch oxidation of p-coumaric acid has been investigated using a high- pressure reactor at temperatures varying from 403 to 523 K and pressur es from 3 to 7 MPa. Concentrations of reaction intermediates were dete rmined as a function of oxidation time using High Performance Liquid C hromatography (HPLC) as the main analytical technique, and an oxidatio n mechanism for p-coumaric acid is suggested. The results are discusse d with respect to developing an integrated chemical-biological treatme nt process for organic wastewater. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd