Chemical oxidation of C. I. Reactive Red 2 using Fenton-like reactions

Abstract

A detailed investigation on the kinetics of the oxidative degradation of a reactive dye, C. I. Reactive Red 2 by hydroxyl radicals generated by H₂O₂ and Fe²⁺ has been carried out in aqueous acidic media. Effects of different parameters like initial concentration of dye, H₂O₂, Fe²⁺, pH of the solution, reaction temperature and added electrolytes on the oxidation process have been studied. The results indicate that 1.63 × 10⁻⁴ mol dm⁻³ dye can be most effectively degraded at a dye∶Fe²⁺∶H₂O₂ molar ratio of 1∶0.22∶8.13 at pH ∼ 2.7 and at 299 K. The addition of excess 2-propanol or t-butyl alcohol, well known scavengers of hydroxyl radicals, almost stopped the degradation of the dye indicating the absence of any possible reductive pathways in the degradation. The results may be useful for designing the treatment systems of wastewater containing various reactive dyes.