Refractory organic compounds in coal chemical wastewater treatment by catalytic ozonation using Mn-Cu-Ce/Al2O3

A composite Mn-Cu-Ce tri-metal oxide supported on γ-Al 2 O 3 (Mn-Cu-Ce/Al 2 O 3 ) catalyst was prepared by an impregnation-calcination method and investigated in the catalytic ozonation treatment of real coal chemical wastewater (CCW). The catalyst was characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XRF, BET, and XPS techniques. The results showed that Mn, Cu, and Ce metal oxides were evenly distributed on the Al 2 O 3 surface and the catalyst maintained a large surface area and a high pore volume compared with the pristine Al 2 O 3 . The synergy between Mn, Cu, and Ce oxides greatly enriched the catalytic active sites and enhanced the ozonation performance. The catalytic ozonation process with Mn-Cu-Ce/Al 2 O 3 increased the removal rate of total organic carbon (TOC) by 31.6% compared with ozonation alone. The ketones, aromatic compounds, phenols, and nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds in CCW have been effectively degraded and mineralized by Mn-Cu-Ce/Al 2 O 3 catalytic ozonation process, and its biodegradability has also been significantly improved. The experimental results of ∙OH scavengers revealed that the mechanism of Mn-Cu-Ce/Al 2 O 3 catalytic ozonation was to promote the generation of ∙OH radicals. The catalytic activity of Mn-Cu-Ce/Al 2 O 3 was only a slight decrease in six consecutive catalytic ozonation treatments, showing good stability. Therefore, Mn-Cu-Ce/Al 2 O 3 can be used as a candidate catalyst for the advanced treatment of refractory organic wastewaters upon catalytic ozonation.