Decolorization of azo dyes Orange G using hydrodynamic cavitation coupled with heterogeneous Fenton process

•The application of HC–HFP system for decolorization of OG was experimentally investigated.•Effect of HC–HFP operation parameters on decolorization rate was proposed.•13 main degradation products including OG were detected using HPLC–DAD–ESI–TOF.•A plausible mechanism of degradation for OG by the HC–HFP is proposed.

The present work demonstrates the application of the combination of hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) and the heterogeneous Fenton process (HF, Fe0/H2O2) for the decolorization of azo dye Orange G (OG). The effects of main affecting operation conditions such as the inlet fluid pressure, initial concentration of OG, H2O2 and zero valent iron (ZVI), the fixed position of ZVI, and medium pH on decolorization efficiency were discussed with guidelines for selection of optimum parameters. The results revealed that the acidic conditions are preferred for OG decolorizaiton. The decolorization rate increased with increasing H2O2 and ZVI concentration and decreased with increasing OG initial concentration. Besides, the decolorization rate was strongly dependent on the fixed position of ZVI. The analysis results of degradation products using liquid chromatography–ESI–TOF mass spectrometry revealed that the degradation mechanism of OG proceeds mainly via reductive cleavage of the azo linkage due to the attack of hydroxyl radical. The present work has conclusively established that the combination of HC and HF can be more energy efficient and gives higher decolorization rate of OG as compared with HC and HF alone.