Studies in liquid phase mineralization of cation exchange resin by a hybrid process of Fenton dissolution followed by wet oxidation

The spent ion exchange resin poses a disposal problem. A novel process, dissolution followed by wet oxidation (WO), for mineralization of the cation exchange resin (gel type) was studied by using homogeneous CuSO4 as the catalyst. The waste obtained after copper catalyzed dissolution of ion exchange resin by H2O2 was then further treated by wet oxidation for mineralization. The process parameters for dissolution were studied and optimum parameters were established. The wet oxidation was studied in the temperature range of 453–493 K and the oxygen partial pressure range of 0.34–1.38 MPa at pH 6.5. The kinetic data were modeled using the power law rate expression in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD).