Catalytic Wet Air Oxidation of Oxalic Acid

Oxidation of oxalic acid was carried out in a four-neck glass reactor operated at atmospheric pressure. Most of the experiments were performed using Pt/Al2O3 and ceria promoted Pt/Al2O3 catalysts. The catalysts were prepared by excess solution impregnation (ESI) method. Catalysts supported on alumina with different Pt loadings (0.2 to 0.7 wt %) and different ceria contents (2 to 15 wt %) were prepared. The surface morphology of the prepared catalysts was investigated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyzer. Their phases were analyzed with powder X-ray diffraction. In addition to these the characterization was enriched by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), nitrogen adsorption, chemisorptions and thermo-gravimetric (TGA) analysis. Non-catalytic and catalytic wet air oxidation of oxalic acid using ZnO, CeO2, Al2O3, Pt/Al2O3 and ceria promoted Pt/Al2O3 was carried out. The degradation of oxalic acid obtained by CWAO was found to be much higher as compared to non-catalytic oxidation. The various parameters such as size of the catalyst particle, air flow rate and agitation speed, catalyst dosage and loading, initial concentration of oxalic acid were studied.