Wet oxidative method for removal of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol in water using Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II) supported MCM41 catalysts

Chlorophenols in water are resistant to biological oxidation and they have to be destroyed by chemical oxidation. In the present work, Fe(III), Co(II) and Ni(II) incorporated MCM41 mesoporous solids were used as catalysts for oxidation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol in water with or without the oxidant, H2O2. The catalysts were prepared by impregnation and were characterized by XRD and FTIR measurements. The parent MCM41, Fe(III), Co(II) and Ni(II) impregnated MCM41 had cation exchange capacity of 20.5, 25.5, 24.2, 26.0 mequiv./100 g, respectively. The catalysts were used after calcination at 773-873 K for 5 h. The reactions were carried out in a high pressure stirred reactor at 0.2 MPa (autogenous) and 353 K under various reaction conditions. The conversion achieved with Fe(III), Co(II) and Ni(II) incorporated MCM41 in 5 h is respectively 59.4, 50.0 and 65.6% with 2,4,6-TCP:H2O2 molar ratio of 1:1, and 60.2, 60.9 and 68.8% in absence of H2O2. The oxidation has a first order rate coefficient of (1.2-4.8) × 10−3 min−1. The results show that introduction of Fe(III), Co(II) and Ni(II) into MCM-41 through impregnation produces very effective catalysts for wet oxidation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol.