Potential explanations for the inhibition and acceleration of phenol SCWO by water

Jeffrey T. Henrikson, Phillip E. Savage

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper offers potential explanations for the inhibition and acceleration by water of phenol supercritical water oxidation rates. We report new experimental data at 380-465 °C that reveals the effect of water density on the oxidation reaction. At 380 and 400 °C, increasing the water density increases phenol conversion. At 442 and 465 °C, the phenol conversion decreases as water concentration increases from 2 to 9 mol/L. At 420 °C, the phenol conversion decreases as water density increases from 2 to 8 mol/L, but conversion increases as water density increases from 8 to 13 mol/L. We present new data and analyses showing that ion-ion reactions are not responsible for the observed effects. These effects are, however, quantitatively consistent with a model based on the existence of two competing rate-determining steps. In one possible scenario, one step has an increase in polarity along the reaction coordinate and the other has a decrease. It is also plausible that diffusion limitations at high temperatures and the increase in the dissociation of phenol into phenolate ions may play a part in water's effect on phenol SCWO kinetics.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)4841-4847
Number of pages7
JournalIndustrial and Engineering Chemistry Research
Volume43
Issue number16
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 4 2004

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Chemistry(all)
  • Chemical Engineering(all)
  • Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

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