Abstract: The toxic phenol containing wastewater pollutes the environment and is difficult to treat. The treatment of simulated phenol containing wastewater by catalytic ozonation with ceramic membrane was conducted. The effects of ozone dosage, initial pH, membrane flux and initial phenol concentration on the removal of phenol and the reaction kinetics and mechanism were studied. The results showed that the catalytic ozonation coupled with ceramic membrane was the most effective for removing phenol at ozone dosage of 3.55 mg/min, initial pH of 10.02, membrane flux of 75 L/(m2?h) and initial concentration of phenol of 20 mg/L. After reaction for 45 min, the removal rate of phenol was 100%. The degradation of phenol by the catalytic oxidation coupled with ceramic membrane followed the apparent pseudo-first-order kinetic model. A comparative experiment of TBA (tert-butanol, hydroxyl radical scavenger) proved that the degradation of phenol by the catalytic oxidation coupled with ceramic membrane basically followed the free radical mechanism.

Key words: catalytic ozonation, ceramic membrane, phenol, kinetics, hydroxyl radical