Detoxification of chlorinated organic compounds using hydrodechlorination on sulfided NiO‐MoO3/γ‐Al2O3 catalyst. Kinetic analysis and effect of temperature

The kinetics of the catalytic hydrodechlorination (HDCl) process in the liquid phase of 1,2,3‐trichlorobenzene was studied. A commercial Ni‐Mo type catalyst, previously sulfided, was used. Experiments were run in the temperature range 280–350°C in a stirred tank reactor under a hydrogen pressure of approximately 100 bar. The reaction network was identified and the kinetic constants have been evaluated using Arrhenius' law and a hypothesis of first order kinetics. The data obtained have been compared with those from an earlier experiment carried out using the same catalyst in unsulfided form. We observed that the sulfidation treatment notably increased the activity of the catalyst. The results have also been reported in terms of the degree of detoxification. The possibility of reaching detoxification efficiency levels, even in mild operating conditions, comparable with those required by legislation for incineration of chlorinated organic compounds, have been demonstrated.