Oxidation of Partially Hydrolyzed Polyacrylamide from Polymer Flooding Processes Using Fenton Reagents

The degradation of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide(HPAM) found in alkaline/surfactant/polymer flooding sewage was investigated using Fenton-type reagents. Different Fenton reagent treatments for HPAM degradation were compared. The effects of pH, hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2)), ferrous ion(Fe^(2+)), and tartaric ion(C_(4)H_(4)O_(6)^(2-)) concentrations were studied. The degradation reaction occurred within a wide range of pH(3–9). The HPAM degradation performance of photo-Fenton processes using solar light and UV were compared with that of the Fenton process. The degradation rate was found to be strongly dependent on the H_(2)O_(2)/Fe^(2+)/C_(4)H_(4)O_(6)^(2-)molar ratio. The HPAM degradation efficiency was 90%, and the chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency was 85%. HPAM could be degraded into a compound with a lower molecular weight, but it was difficult to achieve complete mineralization to CO_(2). The presence of intermediate products hindered further oxidation in the Fenton process.