Degradation of pentachlorophenol by high temperature hydrolysis

Abstract

The long-term use of plant protection products in agriculture, including pentachlorophenol (PCP), has contributed to their widespread distribution in the natural environment. So far, no cheap and effective techniques for removing chlorophenols by physicochemical or biological methods have been developed. Therefore, alternative methods of neutralizing them are currently being sought. The aim of the study was to investigate the possibility of pentachlorophenol decomposition by high temperature thermohydrolysis. The decomposition process was carried out at a constant pressure of 25 MPa, in the temperature range of 20°C to 500°C and at various volumetric flows of PCP through the reactor. Detailed analysis of the results showed that the process and degree of pentachlorophenol reduction depended on residence time in the reactor and the process temperature. The obtained results indicate that thermohydrolysis in supercritical water is not an effective method to neutralize pentachlorophenol. The high costs of conducting this process together with an average degree of PCP conversion (the conversion of pentachlorophenol at the lowest volumetric flow rate through the reactor reached about 45%) cause that thermohydrolysis at high temperature is not a costeffective method of neutralizing pentachlorophenol.