Thermal decomposition of substituted phenols in supercritical water

Journal Article · Thu May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997 · Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ie960698i· OSTI ID:509339

Martino, C J; Savage, P E ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

The thermal decomposition of cresols, hydroxybenzaldehydes, nitrophenols, and benzenediols was studied in dilute aqueous solutions and in the absence of oxygen at 460 C and 250 atm for residence times around 10 s. Thermolysis under these conditions produced conversions of less than 10% for o-, m-, and p-cresol, whereas hydroxybenzaldehydes and nitrophenols were much more reactive. Global rate expressions are reported for the thermolysis of each hydroxybenzaldehyde and nitrophenol isomer. Phenol was a major product from the decomposition of all of the substituted phenols studied. For a given substituent, ortho-substituted phenols reacted more rapidly than the other isomers. For a given substituted position, nitrophenols reacted more rapidly than hydroxybenzaldehydes, which in turn reacted more rapidly than cresols. These results demonstrate that the treatment of CHO- and NO{sub 2}-substituted phenols by oxidation in supercritical water will involve the oxidation of thermal decomposition products in addition to the oxidation of the original compounds.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); National Science Foundation, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG22-92PC92536
• OSTI ID: 509339
• Journal Information: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, Journal Name: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 36; ISSN IECRED; ISSN 0888-5885
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
COAL INDUSTRY
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
OXIDATION
PHENOLS
PYROLYSIS
PYROLYSIS PRODUCTS
WASTE WATER
WATER TREATMENT