(186e) Selection of an Efficient Catalyst for the Catalytic Wet Air Oxidation of Orange II: a Mono Azo Dye

Effluents from dying processes in textile industry are among the most problematic types of wastewater generated by textile industry. Due to their strong color and high COD, these types of wastewaters impose serious environmental problems, both in terms of treatment and aesthetic concerns. Orange II (also known as Acid Orange 7) is one of the dyes that are produced in large amounts in the United States. It is commonly used in pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics industries as well as in the textile industry, and it is not amenable to conventional biological treatment. This paper discusses the selection of an efficient catalyst for the catalytic oxidation of Orange II. Catalysts tested were 35% CuO+65%ZnO, 5-15% CuO+85-95% Al2O3, 26% CuO+74% Cu Chromite, 10%Ba2CO3+<5%C+30-40% CuO+60-70% ZnO, and 8-15% Al2O3+1-5%C+35-45% CuO+40-50% ZnO. The experiments were conducted in a one-liter batch stainless steel autoclave reactor equipped with an impeller, temperature and pressure control units, gas introduction and vent lines, and a sampling port with a filter to filter out the catalyst and charred residue (if any) from collected samples. Reaction temperatures and pressures were held between 353-403 K and 1-20 atm respectively. Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) reduction was used as an indicator of how efficient of catalysts were. The results are discussed.