Degradation of Alizarin Red S by Heterogeneous Fenton-Like Oxidation Over Copper-Containing Sand Catalysts

Two new heterogeneous catalysts (Cu-sand) have been synthesized by supporting copper on the surface of natural sand using two defined methods such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and dry evaporation (DE). The Cu-sand catalysts were characterized by several techniques. SEM-EDX analysis indicated that 13.86 wt% of copper species were dispersed on the surface of Cu-sand (CVD) catalyst whereas 11 wt% were agglomerated on the Cu-sand (DE) surface. The presence of copper species was more noticeable in the XRD pattern for the Cu-sand (CVD) catalyst. The catalytic performance of the prepared catalysts was evaluated in the Fenton-like oxidation of Alizarin red S dye (ARS). The reactivity and stability of the two catalysts were differentiated by studying the influence of the supported amount of copper, activity of leachate and the reuse of catalyst on the conversion of initial concentration of ARS. ARS oxidation has been investigated under various experimental conditions. The best ARS conversion rate was about 95% when using Cu-sand (CVD) catalyst in optimal conditions: [H 2 O 2 ] 0 = 10 mmol/L, temperature = 40 °C and the addition of H 2 O 2 in two stages (0 min and 20 min of treatment). CVD method makes it possible to prepare an efficient and stable catalyst.