Three-phase reactors for environmental remediation : catalytic wet oxidation of phenol using active carbon

Wet oxidation of phenol aqueous solutions was carried out in a ®xed bed reactor operating in trickle ̄ow regime. Mild conditions of temperature (1408C) and oxygen partial pressure (1±9 bar) were used. Three active carbons and one commercially available supported copper catalyst were tested as catalytic material. Previous studies demonstrated that active carbon gives higher phenol conversion than conventional oxidation catalysts, although signi®cant loss of active carbon due to combustion was also found. In the present study, the combustion of the active carbon during the process is highly reduced by lowering the oxygen partial pressure from 9 to 2 bar, maintaining an acceptable phenol conversion. The comparison of the performance of three different active carbons shows that their physical and chemical characteristics largely in ̄uence on the phenol conversion achieved. # 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.