Patent ID: 8410011

Claim:
A method for preparing a fibrous catalyst for the treatment of a waste stream containing an undesired compound, the method comprising the steps of; (i) treating a fabric comprising polyacrylonitrile fibers with a hydrazine salt and a hydroxylamine salt in the presence of a base to provide a modified fabric; (ii) treating the modified fabric with a base; and (iii) treating the modified fabric with an aqueous solution comprising an amount of a salt of a transition metal cation and a salt of a non-transition metal cation, wherein the transition metal cation is an iron cation, and the non-transition metal cation comprises a metal from Group 1, 2, 12, 13, 14, or 15 of the Periodic Table of Elements, wherein the resultant fibrous catalyst prepared according to steps (i) to (iii) is loaded with the transition metal cation, and is essentially free of the non-transition metal cation whereby the resultant fibrous catalyst has an enhanced transition metal cation loading and provides an enhanced catalytic activity.