Low temperature wet oxidation and catalytic wet oxidation of specific organic compounds in highly alkaline solution (synthetic Bayer liquor)
Creators: name: Tardio, James
Publisher: name: RMIT University
Year: 2024

description: <br>Low temperature (165°C) Wet Oxidation (WO) and Catalytic Wet Oxidation (CWO) of 12 organic compounds has been studied in highly alkaline, high ionic strength solution (simulating that encountered in the Bayer process used to refine alumina) for the first time. Most (11 out of 12) of the 12 organic compounds studied (formic, acetic, propionic, butyric, oxalic, malonic, succinic, glutaric, citric, lactic, malic and tartaric acids) have been identified in various worldwide Bayer liquors. The various aspects of WO and CWO studied for each of the above-mentioned compounds were as follows;<br><br>-Extent of complete oxidation to carbonate (i.e. extent of removal of organic compound)<br>-Extent of overall oxidation (i.e. extent of complete oxidation and partial oxidation to stable products)<br>-The product(s) formed from partial (incomplete) oxidation<br>-The reaction mechanism occurring<br>-Why certain compounds undergo low temperature WO and/or CWO in highly alkaline, high ionic strength solution<br>-The ability of various transition metal oxides to catalyse the WO of the selected organic compounds<br><br>Of the 12 organic compounds studied only six (formic, malonic, citric, lactic, malic and tartaric acids) underwent appreciable (&gt;2% overall oxidation) WO in isolation under the reaction conditions used (4.4 -7.0 M NaOH, 165°C, 500 kPa Po₂, 2 hours). Each of these six compounds underwent some complete oxidation and therefore can be partly removed from highly alkaline, high ionic strength solution using low temperature WO. The order of extent of complete oxidation determined was as follows tartaric&gt; citric&gt; malonic&gt; formic&gt; lactic&gt; malic. All of these compounds also underwent some partial oxidation under the reaction conditions used, excluding formic acid, which only underwent complete oxidation. Oxalic acid was a major product of partial oxidation of all of the above-mentioned compounds (excluding formic acid), while acetic acid was a major product of partial oxidation of citric, lactic, malic and tartaric acids.<br><br>The WO of formic, malonic, citric, lactic, malic and tartaric acids varied considerably with NaOH concentration over the NaOH concentration range studied (4.4 - 7.0 M). The extent of overall oxidation undergone by each of these compounds increased significantly with increasing NaOH concentration. All of the compounds that underwent appreciable WO under the reaction conditions studied contained hydrogen(s) significantly more acidic then the compounds that did not undergo appreciable WO, thus indicating that only organic compounds that contain acidic (albeit weakly acidic) hydrogens undergo low temperature (165°C) WO in highly alkaline, high ionic strength solution.<br><br>Two different reaction mechanisms were identified to occur during low temperature WO in highly alkaline, high ionic strength solution. Malonic and formic acids underwent WO predominantly via a free radical based reaction mechanism, while citric, lactic, malic and tartaric acids underwent WO predominantly via an ionic based reaction mechanism.<br><br>The six organic compounds that did not undergo appreciable WO in isolation (acetic, propionic, butyric, oxalic, succinic and glutaric acids) all underwent appreciable WO when in the presence of malonic acid undergoing low temperature WO. Hence, low temperature WO of all of the above-mentioned compounds can be initiated by free radical intermediates produced by malonic acid undergoing WO in highly alkaline, high ionic strength solution.<br><br>The ability of several transition metal oxides to catalyse the WO of the chosen 12 organic compounds was investigated. Of the transition metal oxides studied CuO was clearly the most active. Five of the organic compounds studied (malonic, citric, lactic, malic and tartaric acids) were catalytically wet oxidised by CuO in highly alkaline, high ionic strength solution in isolation. The order of catalytic activity observed was malonic &gt; tartaric&gt; lactic&gt; malic&gt; citric.<br><br>Two different catalytic reaction mechanisms were identified for CuO catalysed WO in highly alkaline solution for the organic compounds studied. CuO catalysed the WO of malonic acid predominantly by catalysing the formation of free radical intermediates. CuO catalysed the WO of citric, lactic, malic and tartaric acids predominantly via a complexation-based reaction mechanism. <br>