Regeneration of 4-Chlorophenol Exhausted GAC with a Microwave Assisted Wet Peroxide Oxidation Process

To improve the performance of wet oxidation for the regeneration of GAC, a microwave assisted wet peroxide oxidation process has been applied for the regeneration of 4-chlorophenol exhausted GAC. The effects of various factors including reaction temperature, H₂O₂ dosage, reaction time, and addition of catalyst have been studied. The regeneration improves with the increase in reaction temperature, H₂O₂ dosage, and reaction time. The addition of Cu²⁺ further promotes the regeneration process. Under the conditions of temperature 150°C, H₂O₂ dosage 15 mmol, reaction time 20 min, Cu²⁺ concentration 20 mg/L, the regenerated GAC recovers 93.5% of its adsorption capacity. A nearly complete degradation of 4-chlorophenol in the aqueous phase is observed based on UV-vis and high-performance liquid chromatography spectra studies.