Evaluation of hematite as heterogenous catalyst in advanced oxidation processes

In this paper experimental tests of Fenton oxidation and ozonation of aqueous solution of pentachlorophenol are presented. The tests were carried out using ferric sulphate as homogeneous catalyst or hematite as heterogenous catalyst. Results show that in Fenton’s oxidation treatment, Fe (III) was more effective in mineralizing the contaminant or in transforming it in less chlorinated species, with respect to hematite. Conversely, in ozonation tests, hematite proved to increase both TOC removal and chloride release. In both cases, due to the possibility to avoid any additional separation of the catalyst from the treated solution, hematite seems to be a promising and economic heterogeneous catalyst.