Kinetics of p-hydroxybenzoic acid photodecomposition and ozonation in a batch reactor

The decomposition of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, an important pollutant present in the wastewaters of the olive oil industry, has been carried out by a direct photolysis provided by a polychromatic UV radiation source, and by ozone. In both processes, the conversions obtained as a function of the operating variables (temperature, pH and ozone partial pressure in the ozonation process) are reported. In order to evaluate the radiation flow rate absorbed by the solutions in the photochemical process, the Line Source Spherical Emission Model is used. The application of this model to the experimental results provides the determination of the reaction quantum yields which values ranged between 8.62 and 81.43 l/einstein. In the ozonation process, the film theory allows to establish that the absorption process takes place in the fast and pseudo-first-order regime and the reaction is overall second-order, first-order with respect to both reactants, ozone and p-hydroxybenzoic acid. The rate constants are evaluated and vary between 0.18x10(5) and 29.9x10(5) l/mol s depending on the temperature and pH.