Alumina Supported Fenton-Like Systems for the Catalytic Wet Peroxide Oxidation of Phenol Solutions

Fe2O3/Al2O3 catalysts (2% Fe) were prepared and characterized by XRD, BET, Raman, and SEM-EDAX. The systems were tested for the catalytic oxidation of phenol solutions (5000 ppm) with H2O2. The effects of reaction temperature, catalyst: loading, phenol initial concentration, and H2O2:phenol molar ratio were evaluated. The relatively low oxidant consumption rates favored increased mineralization levels at substoichiometric H2O2 initial concentrations. The stability of the catalytic system was improved by means of a thermal treatment at 900 degrees C, which did not seriously affect the overall reaction performance.