Catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) of aqueous solutions of phenol, 2-chlorophenol and 4-nitrophenol were studied using Cu/ CeO 2 with 4% of copper as catalytic material. The catalyst was prepared by an impregnation method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area, oxygen storage capacity (OSC), temperature programmed reduction (TPR), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and XPS. The reaction was carried out in a batch reactor at T=160°C and 1.0 MPa. Cu/CeO 2 catalyst was found effective in CWAO. On the basis of characterization data, it is suggested that the high activity of the copperceria catalyst is related to the modification of the structural and redox properties of the cerium oxide on copper addition. The ratio BOD 5 /COD was measured to evaluate the biodegradability. Pretreatment by CWAO under operating conditions resulted in effluents whose biodegradation rates were significantly higher than those of the original.
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