Objective
Many Wastewater streams originating in industrial processes contain organic pollutants which are toxic or poorly biodegradable, and so are not amenable to direct biological treatment. One solution to this problem is to treat such wastewaters using some form of chemical (as opposed to biological) oxidation. However, this can prove expensive and so a more attractive approach might be to integrate chemical and biological treatment so that the (expensive)chemical treatment acts as a pre-treatment for the bio-pro cess rather than as a complete oxidation process. The CEC has recently awarded a contract to a group of scientists and engineers from Britain, Greece, Italy and Spain to investigate the optimal approach to designing and operating such an integrated process. This contract will investigate using both ozonation and catalysed Wet air oxidation as chemical treatment stages.
The currently proposed project aims to extend the limited wet oxidation work proposed in the original contract by (a) collecting kinetic data on the rates of catalytic oxidation of the model pollutants (polyphenols, azo dyes and polyethylene glycols), aimed at the development of rate equations for oxidation reactor design. In the trickle bed reactor, a high solid (catalyst) to liquid ratio favours the heterogeneous reactions that lead to biodegradable intermediates and carbon dioxide, and kinetic data will be collected in a differential, liquid full trickle bed reactor. (b) carrying out catalysed oxidation experiments With alternative high pressure oxidation reactors, such as liquid-full trickle bed reactors (the original contract proposes to use only a slurry reactor). Both (a) and (b) will utilise the same catalysts as those being utilised in the existing contract (Mn/Ce oxides, pt on alumina, Fe oxides). A third objective (c) is to investigate an alternative, proprietary catalvst which has been under development at the University of Ljubljana for use in the oxidation nf th model pollutants.
Through this coordinated program of Work, this project aims to enhance the flow of ideas and expertise between the participating institutions. Regular meetings and exchange of researchers Will facilitate scientific and social cohesion between the departments and personnel involved.
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
SW7 2AZ LONDON
United Kingdom