Composites of manganese oxide with carbon materials as catalysts for the ozonation of oxalic acid.

Manganese oxide and manganese oxide-carbon composites were prepared and tested as catalysts for the removal of oxalic acid by ozonation. Their performances were compared with the parent carbon material (activated carbon or carbon xerogel) used to prepare the composites. Oxalic acid degradation by carbon materials is slower than that attained with manganese oxide or manganese oxide-carbon composites. A complete degradation after 90 and 45 min of reaction was obtained for carbon materials and for the catalysts containing manganese, respectively. The ozonation in the presence of the prepared composites are supposed to occur mainly by surface reactions, following a direct oxidation mechanism by molecular ozone and/or surface oxygenated radicals.