Degradation of phenolic waste waters over Ni-oxide.

The low-temperature oxidation of phenol in an aqueous phase in the presence of Ni-oxide system has been studied. The effects of pH, temperature and the catalyst amount on the efficiency of the oxidation process have been investigated. The results obtained show that phenol is completely oxidized to harmless products--carboxylic acids and CO2 at ambient temperature and pH 6.0-7.0. The simple scheme for this synthesis of the Ni-oxide system and its regeneration is a prerequisite for its application to the purification of waste waters containing toxic compounds.