Effect of Calcination Temperature on Activity of Cu-ACF Catalysts in Catalytic Wet Oxidation of Ammonia Solution

Aqueous solutions of 400 mg/L ammonia were oxidized in a trickle-bed reactor (TBR). Cu-activated carbon fiber (ACF) catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation with aqueous solutions of copper nitrate that was deposited on ACF substances. Experimental results demonstrated the conversion of ammonia by wet oxidation in the presence of Cu–ACF catalysts followed by calcination at temperatures from 473 to 773 K. The conversion efficiency of ammonia was 95% during the wet oxidation over the Cu–ACF catalyst that was calcined at 573 K and at an oxygen partial pressure of 3.0 MPa. The catalysts were characterized using TGA-DTA, OM, XRD, FTIR, UV-Vis, and TEM, which indicated that the catalytic behavior is related to the copper (II) oxide and ACF support.