Catalytic Hydrodechlorination of 2,4-Dichlorophenol Using Co-Current Down Flow Contactor Reactor

Asim Rehman; Muhammad Nawaz; Arshad Chughtai; Muhammad Arif Butt; Abdul Sattar

doi:10.52763/PJSIR.PHYS.SCI.58.1.2015.1.7

Asim Rehman Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of The Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
Muhammad Nawaz School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Arshad Chughtai School of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, H-12 Islamabad, Pakistan
Muhammad Arif Butt Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of The Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
Abdul Sattar Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of The Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore 54590, Pakistan

DOI: https://doi.org/10.52763/PJSIR.PHYS.SCI.58.1.2015.1.7

Keywords: catalytic hydrodechlorination, 2,4-dichlorophenol, palladium, carbon, co-current downflow contactor reactor

Abstract

In this study, a new prospective regarding application of gas liquid reactions in the presence of catalyst was studied for pollution abatement in the novel reactor. Catalytic hydrodechlorination (CHDC)
of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) in aqueous system was carried out under the operating conditions at 25- 75 °C, 1 atm in co-current down flow contactor reactor. Under these reaction conditions complete conversion of 2,4-DCP into less toxic products (phenol and cyclohexanone) was achieved using 5% Pd/C catalyst. At typical temperature the hydrodechlorination reaction of 2,4-DCP was completed after 10 min. 2,4-DCP was converted to 96.19% of phenol and 3.81% of cyclohexanone using 0.4 g/L of 5% Pd/C catalyst. The increase in initial concentration of 2,4-DCP resulted in the increase in time for the dechlorination of 2,4- DCP. The calculated activation energy values amounted to 43 KJ/mol for the CHDC of 2,4-DCP exhibiting that this reaction occurs mainly under the surface reaction rate controlled condition.