Degradation of p-aminophenol wastewater using Ti-Si-Sn-Sb/GAC particle electrodes in a three-dimensional electrochemical oxidation reactor

In this study, Ti-Si-Sn-Sb/GAC particle electrodes were prepared by sol–gel method. The particle electrodes were characterized by SEM, XRD, EDX, and BET then used to carry out three-dimensional (3D) electrocatalytic oxidation degradation on simulated refractory p-aminophenol (PAP) wastewater. The effects of initial pH, cell voltage, aeration flow rate and initial PAP concentration on degradation experiments were investigated. Under the optimal conditions, the PAP and COD removal rates were 89.45% and 75.17% respectively. In addition, the possible degradation mechanism of PAP was further investigated by UV–Vis and HPLC. Finally, it was found that the Ti-Si-Sn-Sb/GAC particle electrodes with high catalytic activity and excellent stability could significantly improve the PAP wastewater removal efficiency.