Ozonation kinetics of cork-processing water in a bubble column reactor

The oxidative degradation of organic pollutants present in cork-processing water at natural pH (6.45) was studied in a bubble column ozonation reactor. A steady reduction in both chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC) was observed under the action of ozone alone and the feasibility of deep mineralisation (organic matter removal more than 90% in 120 min under the following experimental conditions: liquid volume 9 L; superficial gas velocity 6.8×10−3 m s−1; ozone partial pressure 1.31 kPa; initial COD 328 mg L−1; initial TOC 127 mg L−1) was demonstrated. The monitoring of pH, redox potential (ORP) and the mean oxidation number of carbon (MOC) was correlated with the oxidation and mineralisation of the organic species in the water. The ozonation of cork-processing water in the bubble column was analysed in terms of a mole balance coupled with ozonation kinetics modelled by the two-film theory of mass transfer and chemical reaction. Under the experimental conditions used, and in contrast with the literature, it was determined that the reaction follows a fast kinetic regime at the beginning of the oxidation process, shifting to the moderate and the slow kinetic regimes at later stages of the oxidation reaction. The dynamic change of the rate coefficient estimated by the model was correlated to changes in the water composition.