Scale-up and Modeling of Fixed-Bed Reactors for Catalytic Phenol Oxidation over Adsorptive Active Carbon

Abstract

The wet air oxidation of phenol over a commercial active carbon catalyst has been studied in laboratory-scale and pilot-plant fixed-bed reactors at mild temperatures and oxygen partial pressures of 120-160°C and 0.05-0.2 MPa, respectively. The performances of the fixed-bed reactors have been assessed and compared to each other for both up-and downflow operation mode. Depending on the flow mode and reactor scale, distinct phenol destruction rates have been observed in the experiments. A series of batch experiments are carried out to obtain phenol removal kinetics, which are subsequently implemented in the modeling of the pilot-plant fixedbed reactor. A one-dimensional, nonisothermal piston dispersion model is developed to describe in detail the interplay of reaction kinetics, gas-liquid hydrodynamics, and heat and mass transfer in both flow directions. The model predicts reasonably well the experimental data, thus allowing for a thorough explanation of the observed pilot-plant reactor performance.

Modeling of a pilot-scale trickle bed reactor for the catalytic oxidation of phenol

“…This finding was agreed by Suwanprasop et al [29] who assessed the effect of liquid vaporization on the phenol conversion by adjusting gas-to-liquid mass transfer coefficient.…”

Catalytic Wet Air Oxidation of Aqueous Organic Mixtures

“…The experimental set-up, yet detailed in Suwanprasop et al (2005), consists of a jacketed column of 120 cm high and 2.5 cm internal diameter. The reactor is packed with about 320 g of uncrushed and sieved activated carbon particles, same as in section 2.…”

Heterogeneous catalytic wet air oxidation of refractory organic pollutants in industrial wastewaters: A review

“…During the reaction, the AC showed changes in its initial texture due to the oxidation of external surface and its original physicochemical properties, namely a remarkable reduction of BET surface area. p-Hydroxybenzoic acid has attracted a special interest because it is typically found in the effluent from olive oil industry [83] and is also observed as an unexpected intermediate of phenol oxidation over AC [84,85]. p-Hydroxybenzoic acid is especially toxic and refractory to biological treatment [86].…”