The heterogeneous photo-Fenton reaction using goethite as catalyst

In the present work the degradation of 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) used as model compound, applying the Heterogeneous photo-Fenton reaction, was studied. Small particles of goethite or iron oxyhydroxide were used as a source of iron. The influence of catalyst loading, radiation intensity and the molar ratio between hydrogen peroxide and contaminant were examined. Improvement by illumination is highly significant. During the progress of 2-CP degradation, the reaction shows an unusual acceleration. This autocatalytic comportment, with stronger tendencies at higher temperatures, implies a completely different behaviour from the one typically expected. The autocatalytic performance is successfully explained by the joint action of two factors: (i) the evolution of the available iron in the homogeneous phase during the course of the reaction and (ii) the autocatalytic contribution of some of the reaction intermediates in the iron cycle. The small iron concentration leaching into the solution is produced by two typical liquid medium - solid goethite surface dissolution processes. A reaction mechanism has been proposed and, in a first stage, parameters have been obtained for the dark reaction. In a second step, the complete data for the irradiated operation were obtained.