Decomposition of Formic Acid in a Water Solution Employing the Photo-Fenton Reaction

Abstract

The photodegradation of a specific organic pollutant in aqueous solution using the photo-Fenton system has been modeled and experimentally verified. Kinetic and reactor models accounting for the decomposition rates of formic acid (the model compound) and hydrogen peroxide were developed. The experimental work was performed in a flat-plate, well-stirred reactor placed inside a batch recycling system having a high-flow-rate recirculating pump and a storage tank. The reactor was irradiated from both sides with two tubular lamps placed at the focal axis of two cylindrical reflectors of a parabolic cross section. When predictions of the theoretical model are compared with experimental results, a good representation of the formic acid and hydrogen peroxide concentration evolution in a rather wide range of their initial molar concentrations is obtained; within the range of explored variables, deviations between model predictions and experimental data were always smaller than 9%. Furthermore, model predictions and experimental results of the organic compound degradation show that UV irradiation improves the effectiveness of the Fenton system significantly. Under the adopted operating conditions, a pollutant conversion 63% greater than that obtained with the dark system was observed.

Determination of the chemical reaction kinetics using isothermal reaction calorimetry supported by measurements of the gas production rate: A case study on the decomposition of formic acid in the heterogeneous Fenton reaction

“…Decomposition of formic acid in a water solution using the Fenton and photo-Fenton processes has been extensively studied including kinetic modelling [26,27].…”

Fenton and photo‐Fenton processes for the degradation of atrazine: a kinetic study

“…The experimental device employed for the Fenton and photo‐Fenton degradation of atrazine was an isothermal, well‐stirred batch recycling reactor. For the kinetic studies, the mass balances and the initial conditions for the atrazine, hydrogen peroxide and ferrous iron are given by the following mathematical expressions: …”

Effect of acetic acid on pollutant decomposition in textile wastewater treated by the Fenton method

“…Thus, low-molecular compounds present in the wastewater can affect appreciably the mechanism and efficiency of the Fenton process [9][10][11][12]. These phenomena are relatively little known although they can be very important for the assessment of technological applicability of the Fenton process to a given type of wastewater treatment.…”