Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol.51, No.46, 14980-14993, 2012
Free-Radical-Induced Degradation of Aqueous Polyethylene Oxide by UV/H2O2: Experimental Design, Reaction Mechanisms, and Kinetic Modeling
The advanced oxidation of aqueous polyethylene oxide (PEO) is studied using the UV/H2O2 process. in a batch recirculation photoreactor. The response surface methodology (RSM), combined with quadratic programming, is used for the experimental design, statistical analysis, and optimization Of the process. In the second part, a detailed mathematical, model is developed to predict the total organic carbon (TOC) removal as a function of time Continuous distribution kinetics is applied to establish the kinetic model for the photodegradation of PEO. The model is validated at different influential operating conditions using experimental data obtained by a recirculating batch photoreactor. An excellent agreement between the model predictions and the experimental data is confirmed for all experimental conditions. Also, the intrinsic rate constants are estimated using an optimization algorithm. The model provides a good insight into the free-radical-induced degradation mechanisms and kinetics that could be considered for the process optimization.