Investigation of the Process of Oxidative Degradation of Phenol by Sodium Ferrate Solutions

The issue of wastewater treatment to remove dissolved organics continues to be relevant. Use of individual oxidizing agents does not always provide the desired efficiency of removing pollutants, so it is now customary to use advanced oxidation processes. As part of the work done, the process of oxidation of phenol with a solution of sodium ferrate synthesized by the electrochemical method was investigated. It was found that a 5-fold stoichiometric excess of sodium ferrate affords up to 98% phenol removal efficiency. The rate of the phenol oxidation reaction reaches 122 mu mol/(dm3 min). Formaldehyde and monobasic carboxylic acids were identified among the phenol oxidation products, which makes it possible to represent the oxidation process as a rupture of the aromatic ring with the formation of a number of simple compounds and their subsequent mineralization. Based on the data obtained, it was concluded that, owing to a combination of oxidant, coagulant, and disinfectant properties, ferrates rank among the most promising reagents for the treatment of wastewaters of various origins.