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CORONA DISCHARGE REACTOR FOR SELECTIVE OXIDATION OF ALCOHOLS AND HYDROCARBONS USING OZONATION AND PHOTOXIDATION OF OVER TIO2
Citation:
SAHLE-DEMESSIE, E. AND U. R. PILLAI. CORONA DISCHARGE REACTOR FOR SELECTIVE OXIDATION OF ALCOHOLS AND HYDROCARBONS USING OZONATION AND PHOTOXIDATION OF OVER TIO2. Presented at American Chemical Society (ACS) Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, August 28 - September 02, 2005.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public
Description:
We have developed a process that combines the use of surface corona for the production of ozone by passing air or oxygen through a high voltage electrical discharge and the emitted UV is being used to activate a photocatalyst. A thin film of nanostructured TiO2 with primary particle size of 20 to 100 nanometer was deposited on various substrates using flame aerosol method. The novel process has been used for a combination of ozonation and photocatalysis for effective and efficient oxidation of alcohols and hydrocarbons for producing value added products. Novel corona discharge reactor has been designed for in-situ generation of oxidants that can effectively and efficiently be used for industrial oxidation. The process has been used for gas phase partial oxidation reactions to synthesize oxygenates, and it can also be used for air and water cleaning. This oxidation protocol utilizes the advantage of both the high oxidizing power of ozone formed in the reactor as well as the photoxidation capability of the UV light generated during the ozone formation. A combination of heterogeneous and homogeneous reactants allows wide application for gas and liquid systems. The invented process has been used for gas phase partial oxidation reactions to synthesize oxygenates, for the treatment of water contaminant such as methyl tertiary butyl ether, and treatment of air contaminated with high concentration of volatile organic compounds such as trichloroethylene. The invented process allows a compact high intensity design of honeycomb systems with surface corona in each channel. The process has high energy-efficiency, long lifetime, does not employ any expensive or environmentally undesirable materials thereby rendering them both cost effective and eco-friendly.