Patent ID: 8460557

Claim:
A catalytic wet oxidation process, comprising: providing an aqueous mixture containing at least one undesirable constituent to be treated; detecting a pH level of the aqueous mixture containing at least one undesirable constituent to be treated; selecting a catalyst soluble at the detected pH level of the aqueous mixture, wherein the catalyst and the detected pH level are selected from the group consisting of: copper at a pH level of about 2.2 or lower, copper at a pH level above about 13, vanadium at a pH level above about 4.5, and iron at a pH level below about 4; contacting the aqueous mixture containing at least one undesirable constituent to be treated with the selected catalyst soluble at the detected pH level and an oxidizing agent at an elevated temperature and a superatmospheric pressure to treat the at least one undesirable constituent; monitoring the pH level of the aqueous mixture; and maintaining the pH level of the aqueous mixture to maintain the catalyst in a soluble form during the catalytic wet oxidation process.