A. Santos et al., Overall rate of aqueous-phase catalytic oxidation of phenol: pH and catalyst loading influences, CATAL TODAY, 48(1-4), 1999, pp. 109-117
The catalytic oxidation of phenol in aqueous-phase has been investigated us
ing a commercial catalyst CuO-2(CuO). Cr2O3-CrO4Ba-Al2O3 at 400 K and an ox
ygen pressure of 8 atm, changing the pH and catalyst concentration. The phe
nol conversion, TOC consumption, the intermediates and the pH variation wit
h time have been determined. An irreversible bonding of phenol on the catal
yst surface has been found as a previous step to the phenol oxidation react
ion. An overall pseudo-first order kinetic constant has been calculated for
phenol conversion and values obtained at basic pH are lower than those cal
culated for acid pH media. An important homogeneous contribution for the ph
enol oxidation rate was found. However, the intermediates mineralization is
notably influenced by the catalyst load. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. Al
l rights reserved.