10 kg scaled-up preparation of Al/Fe-pillared clay CWPO catalysts from concentrated precursors

Abstract

In this work, the significant intensification of a bentonite pillaring process was achieved by using a novel methodological approach, leading to an intercalating Al/Fe mixed oligomeric precursor, around 100 times more concentrated than usually reported. In addition, the intercalating step was achieved directly on the clay with no previous swelling of the mineral being required; this allowed the successful scaled-up preparation of the Al/Fe-PILC, by a factor of one thousand, from the lab (10 g) to the pilot scale (10 kg). Intercalating solutions prepared under either concentrated (13 cm³) or diluted (widely reported, 2.0 dm³) conditions for lab-scale preparations were both translucent, displaying similar final pH values (close to 4.0) typical of highly oligomerized Al-pillaring solutions. The clay modified from concentrated precursors at the 10 g scale reached a high basal spacing (18.3 Å) and specific surface area (198 m² g⁻¹) with very comparable fractions of Fe forming truly mixed Al/Fe pillars in comparison to a reference material (H₂-TPR analyses). This promoted high performance in the catalytic wet peroxide oxidation of phenol in aqueous solution as a toxic model organic molecule at very mild temperature (25.0 °C ± 1.0 °C) and pressure (76 kPa), exhibiting the highest catalytic efficiency as a function of both parameters (full conversion of phenol together with 45.2% of TOC mineralization) with low iron leaching using a very low catalyst concentration (0.25 g dm⁻³). Particle size refining of the starting clay, the speed of stirring and conditions for the final washing of the interlayered precursor are the main factors influencing successful pillaring at scales higher than 1.0 kg.