Highly active Fenton-like catalyst derived from solid waste-iron ore tailings using wheat straw pyrolysis

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Materials Science
• Catalysis

Background:

• Pollutant degradation using iron ore tailings-based catalysts is limited by slow reaction rates.
• Developing efficient and stable catalysts is crucial for effective wastewater treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct a highly active iron ore tailings-based Fenton-like catalyst by co-pyrolysis with wheat straw.
• To investigate the catalytic performance and stability of the novel catalyst for pollutant degradation.

Main Methods:

• Co-pyrolysis of iron ore tailings and wheat straw (3:1 mass ratio) at 900°C for 60 minutes.
• Characterization of catalyst properties including surface area, pore size, and iron species.
• Evaluation of catalytic activity using methylene blue degradation and assessment of stability over multiple cycles.

Main Results:

• The co-pyrolyzed catalyst (I/W(3:1)-900-60) exhibited significantly enhanced properties compared to the catalyst from single iron ore tailings (I-900-60), including larger surface area (24.53 m²/g vs 1.32 m²/g) and higher catalytic activity (0.0229 min⁻¹ vs 0.012 min⁻¹).
• The catalyst demonstrated strong chemical bonding between biochar and iron ore tailings, ensuring structural integrity.
• The catalyst maintained high activity after three cycles, indicating excellent stability and recyclability.

Conclusions:

• The developed iron ore tailings-based Fenton-like catalyst offers a facile construction strategy for highly active heterogeneous catalysts.
• The catalyst's efficiency is attributed to the synergistic effects of biochar and iron active sites, facilitating electron transfer and redox cycling.
• This catalyst shows great potential for application in wastewater treatment due to its enhanced catalytic performance and stability.