Treatment of benzene, toluene, and xylene by deep oxidation on CuO catalytic materials synthesised from red mud and rice husk ash

Abstract

In this study, CuO-doped material fabricated from rice husk ash and red mud was modified by CeO₂ promoter and urea using the impregnation method. The obtained samples were investigated for catalytic degradation of aromatic derivatives (benzene, toluene, and p-xylene - BTX) at a temperature range of 275 to 450^oC. This demonstrated that all samples were highly active in the BTX treatment. Several techniques, such as X-ray powder diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), BET surface areas and pore parameters (N₂ physisorption), and hydrogen temperature programed reduction (H2-TPR), were applied to analyse properties of obtained materials. The modification of CuO-doped catalytic material by both CeO₂ promoter and urea resulted in decreased particle size, increased CuO dispersion, and improved catalytic activity of the material. In relation to this material, the conversions of benzene, toluene, and p-xylene were 66.1%, 96.8%, and 96.8% respectively at 375^oC.