A green method for manufacturing CuFe2O4 from industrial Cu sludge was successfully developed by a combination of acid leaching, chemical exchange and ferrite process. The CuFe2O4 was applied for combustion of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) derived from isopropyl alcohol (IPA). The results show that IPA was reacted to form intermediate acetone and CO2 at the temperature range of 110-170 degrees C. When the temperature was increased to 180 degrees C, IPA can be 100% converted into CO2. The 96-h decay tests indicated that the catalyst has a good thermal stability and durability under the conditions of gas hourly space velocity 30,000 h(-1), oxygen content 21%, IPA inlet concentration 2000 ppm, and reaction temperature 180 degrees C. The results demonstrate great potential that our manufactured CuFe2O4 catalyst can be used in combustion IPA streams to eliminate the emission of IPA. Crown Copyright (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.