Catalytic ozonation of thymol in reverse osmosis concentrate with core/shell Fe_3O_4@SiO_2@Yb_2O_3 catalyst:Parameter optimization and degradation pathway

In this work, a novel catalyst of Fe_3O_4@SiO_2@Yb_2O_3 was prepared and the degradation of thymol in reverse osmosis concentrate using ozonation was explored. The operational parameters, such as ozone dosage(8–48 mg·min^(-1)),initial thymol concentration(20–100 mg·L^(-1)), initial pH value(3–11), and catalyst Fe_3O_4@SiO_2@Yb_2O_3dosage(0.2–1.0 g), were studied focusing on the thymol degradation and COD removal. The results indicated that the increase in ozone dosage, initial p H value, and Fe_3O_4@SiO_2@Yb_2O_3dosage accelerated the thymol degradation and COD removal, while the increase in initial thymol concentration hampered the effect of ozonation. A pathway of thymol degradation by catalytic ozonation was proposed based on the intermediates detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometer and ion chromatography. This paper can provide basic data and technical alternative for pollutant removal from reverse osmosis concentrate by ozonation.

Catalytic activities of ultra-small β-FeOOH nanorods in ozonation of 4-chlorophenol

We report the catalytic properties of ultra-small β-FeOOH nanorods in ozonation of4-chlorophenol（4-CP）. XRD, TEM, EDS, SAED, FTIR and BET were used to characterize the prepared material. Interaction between O3 and β-FeOOH was evident from the FTIR spectra.The removal efficiency of 4-CP was significantly enhanced in the presence of β-FeOOH compared to ozone alone. Removal efficiency of 99% and 67% was achieved after 40 min in the presence of combined ozone and catalyst and ozone only, respectively. Increasing catalyst load increased COD removal efficiency. Maximum COD removal of 97% was achieved using a catalyst load of 0.1 g/100 m L of 4-CP solution. Initial 4-CP concentration was not found to be rate limiting below 2 × 10^-3mol/L. The catalytic properties of the material during ozonation process were found to be pronounced at lower initial p H of 3.5.Two stage first order kinetics was applied to describe the kinetic behavior of the nanorods at low p H. The first stage of catalytic ozonation was attributed to the heterogeneous surface breakdown of O3 by β-FeOOH, while the second stage was attributed to homogeneous catalysis initiated by reductive dissolution of β-FeOOH at low p H.