Catalytic Ozonation of MTBE in Water in the Presence of Iron Hydroxide (FeOOH) and Cerium Dioxide (CeO2)

Methyl tert-butyl ether(MTBE) is widely used as gasoline additive. Surface waters in China were polluted by MTBE with different degrees. MTBE was found to be one of the most resistant towards molecular ozone attack and difficult to be degraded by microbe. In this study, experiments were carried out to investigate the removal efficiency of MTBE by catalytic ozonation in the presence of two kinds of catalysts within a continuous reactor at different flow rates. The decomposition rate of ozone, the adsorption property of MTBE on the two kinds of catalysts and the oxidation rate of MTBE were discussed with different flow rates and initial concentration of ozone. The results indicated that the presence of iron hydroxide (FeOOH) accelerated ozone decomposition, with an ozone decomposition rate of 89.6 percents. The decomposition rate of ozone on CeO₂ has a maximum value with the increase of flow rates. The adsorption capacity of MTBE on two kinds of catalysts was very limited. The oxidation rate of MTBE catalyzed by FeOOH/zeolite reached 40 percents and increased as the increase of the ozone concentration.