Oxidation of Partially Hydrolyzed Polyacrylamide from Polymer Flooding Processes Using Fenton Reagents

The degradation of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide(HPAM) found in alkaline/surfactant/polymer flooding sewage was investigated using Fenton-type reagents. Different Fenton reagent treatments for HPAM degradation were compared. The effects of pH, hydrogen peroxide(H2O2), ferrous ion(Fe2+), and tartaric ion(C4H4O62-) concentrations were studied. The degradation reaction occurred within a wide range of pH(3–9). The HPAM degradation performance of photo-Fenton processes using solar light and UV were compared with that of the Fenton process. The degradation rate was found to be strongly dependent on the H2O2/Fe2+/C4H4O62-molar ratio. The HPAM degradation efficiency was 90%, and the chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency was 85%. HPAM could be degraded into a compound with a lower molecular weight, but it was difficult to achieve complete mineralization to CO2. The presence of intermediate products hindered further oxidation in the Fenton process.