1. Experimental design for the functionalization of activated carbon as catalyst in Catalytic wet air oxidation of phenol
Maretva Baricot Mendoza
Supervisor Dr. Josep Font Capafons
Chemical Reaction Engineering and Process Intensification Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Tarragona, February 3rd 2005

2. Content Introduction State of the art Objectives Methodology
Expected Results
Future work
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3. Introduction Environmental problem Treatments Adsorption Membranes
Filtration
Ultrafiltration
Reverse osmosis
Chemical
Oxidation
Biological
Treatments
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4. Introduction Activated Carbon What is it ? Growing interest!!!
Carbonaceous materials, highly crystalline form
Extensively developed internal pore structure
Growing interest!!!
Adsorption, catalyst support but lately…..
As catalyst itself!!!
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5. State of the Art Characterization of carbon surface
Chemical titrations
Temperature programmed desorptions
Infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
Most common
functional groups
Phenolics
Carbonyls
Carboxyls
Quinones
Lactones
Anhydrides
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6. State of the Art Functional groups Carboxylic acid Lactone Phenol
Carbonyl
Anhydride
Ether
Quinone
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7. Environ. Sci. & Technol, 2002. 36(17): p. 3844-3849
State of the Art
Modified AC
Herbicides
Baçaoui et al
Environ. Sci. & Technol, (17): p
Pereira et al
Appl. Catal., A, (1): p
Activated carbon as catalyst in the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene
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8. Commercial activated carbon
State of the Art
CREPI
Phenol oxidation in a Trickle bed reactor (TBR)
@ 160ºC and Oxygen partial pressure 0,82 MPa(1)
Conversion up to 99 %
Commercial activated carbon
as Catalyst
(1) J. Chem. Technol. Biotechnol., (7): p
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9. Objectives Main Secondary
Design an experimental procedure to functionalize activated carbon in order to obtain a good surface chemistry that improves the catalytic activity of carbon in the TBR.
Secondary
Superficial functional groups
Carbon texture
Defunctionalization-Refunctionalization process
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10. Methodology Carbon treatment Defunctionalization Heat treatment under
Inert atmosphere
Elimination of surface functional groups
Temperatures ranges
Refunctionalization
Heat treatment under
Oxygen and Nitrogen
atmosphere
Formation of specific surface functional groups
Varying T, PO2 and time
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11. Methodology MAC tests Set of Modified Activated Carbon MAC
From Refunctionalization Stage
Set of Modified Activated Carbon MAC
MAC tests
Adsorption tests
Catalytic activity tests
Batch configuration
TBR, Milder conditions
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12. Methodology MAC characterization
From the set of MAC those that shows better performance as catalyst and adsorptive material…
MAC characterization
Chemical titrations
TGA + TPD
Infrared Spectroscopy
Thermogravimetric analysis + Thermal programmed desorptions
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13. Expected Results
Clarification of the influence of the surface chemistry on the AC catalytic performance
Determination of better surface chemistry on activated carbon for it to show catalytic activity
Obtaining a better catalyst for phenol oxidation than commercial AC
Procedure to design tailor made AC active for CWAO, from any source
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14. Future work
Develop an experimental procedure combining oxidizing treatments and characterization techniques to obtain catalyst useful in oxidation of several compounds as halogenated phenols
Improve adsorptive performance of AC with chemical surface modification
Establish experimental procedures to specifically functionalize AC surface in order to improve its behavior as catalyst, support or adsorptive material
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15. Questions
Thanks for your attention!!!
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Questions