Metal Foam-Based Fenton-Like Process by Aeration

A novel metal foam-based Fenton-like process for wastewater treatment is illustrated in this study. In the system, H2O2 was generated in situ by taking advantage of O-2 in air, as metal could activate dissolved O-2 to produce O-center dot(2) and then generate H2O2. Furthermore, metal foam can enhance the Fe3+/Fe2+ cycling, which eventually improved the efficiency of the Fenton process. The performance of the novel Fenton-like process was assessed by methyl blue (MB), and 94% MB removal could be achieved within 5 min in nickel (Ni) foam system. The degradation of MB in this study was based on both (OH)-O-center dot and O-center dot(2) -radicals, where O-center dot(2) -radical served as the precursor to generate (OH)-O-center dot for MB degradation through a Fenton process. The pH value of 3 with the initial Fe2+ concentration of 0.25 mM was found to be the optimum condition for the Fenton-like process. This study provides a general and new strategy for efficient wastewater treatment just using aeration and metal foams (such as Ni, Al, and Cu foams), which also offers a good alternative for rational design and application of traditional Fenton process.