Deactivation and regeneration of wet air oxidation catalysts

Available data concerning Wet Air Oxidation heterogeneous catalyst deactivation were collected and discussed in this review article. Deactivation mainly takes place through catalyst oxidation (overoxidation, superficial oxidation of metal particles, leaching), sintering and fouling. Only some of these phenomena appear to be reversible and strategies were developed in order to limit or prevent them from occurring. Compared to other industrial sectors, deactivation of WAO catalysts still remains insufficiently known. In particular, future research should be directed to the study of catalyst resistance to mechanical damages and to poisoning.