FACTORS AFFECTING WET AIR OXIDATION OF TNT RED WATER - RATE STUDIES

Preliminary experiments have demonstrated wet air oxidation (WAO) to be feasible for TNT red water treatment. This paper presents the results of rate studies for the evaluation of temperature, partial oxygen pressure P(O2), initial red water concentration, salt concentration, and catalyst/initiator addition on WAO performance. Results show the WAO efficiency to be a function primarily of temperature, and to a lesser extent, the initial P(O2) A significant initial (usually <5 minutes) rapid reduction in total organic carbon (TOC) or chemical oxygen demand (COD) is observed in all experiments. The extent of reduction varies with the experimental conditions: the harsher the condition, the higher the initial reduction. At lower temperatures, the subsequent WAO of red water proceeds as a first-order reaction with respect to TOC or COD. Under harsher temperature conditions, the reaction follows two distinct first-order phases. High salt concentrations (Na2SO4 and NaNO3) slightly enhanced the overall oxidation. Addition of Cu(II) as a catalyst results in rate enhancement. Several issues regarding application of WAO are discussed.