Catalytic wet peroxidation of pyridine bearing wastewater by cerium supported SBA-15.

Cerium supported SBA-15 (Ce/SBA-15) was synthesized by two-step synthesis method in acidic medium. It was further characterized by various characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and N2 adsorption-desorption pore size distribution analysis. The Ce/SBA-15 showed highly ordered meso-structure with pore diameter≈70-100Ǻ and pore volume≈0.025cm(3)/g. Ce/SBA-15 was further evaluated as a catalyst for the oxidation of highly toxic and non-biodegradable material, pyridine, by catalytic wet-peroxidation method. The effects of various operating parameters such as catalyst dose (0.5-6g/l), stoichiometric ratio of H2O2/pyridine (1-6), initial pyridine concentration (50-800mg/l) and temperature (313-358K) have been evaluated and optimized. Ce/SBA-15 showed stable performance during reuse for six cycles with negligible cerium leaching. Kinetic and thermodynamic parameters and operation cost have also been determined.