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IDENTIFICATION OF CHLOROMETHANE FROMATION PATHS DURING ELECTROCHEMICAL DECHLORINATION OF TCE USING GRAPHITE ELECTRODES
Citation:
Fang**, Y., S R. AlAbed*, AND V R. Kukainis*. IDENTIFICATION OF CHLOROMETHANE FROMATION PATHS DURING ELECTROCHEMICAL DECHLORINATION OF TCE USING GRAPHITE ELECTRODES. Presented at American Chemical Society National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, 3/23-27/2003.
Description:
The purpose of this research is to investigate the formation of chloromethane during TCE dechlorination in a mixed electrochemical reactor using graphite electrodes. Chloromethane was the major chlorinated organic compound detected in previous dechlorination experiments. In order to minimize this undesirable compound, it is necessary to identify the mechanisms of its formation in the reactor. It is hypothesized that chloromethane is formed at the graphite anode as a result of the oxidation of chloride, a major product of TCE dechlorination. The possibility of chloromethane forming from TCE dechlorination was considered. An experiment in a similar reactor with a solution containing chloride and no TCE demonstrated rapid consumption of chloride and fast generation of chloromethane. TCE reduction in a reactor having a similar granular graphite cathode but a platinum anode generated less amount of chloromethane and more chloride. In addition, carbon stable 13C isotope TCE was dechlorinated in the reactor with the platinum anode and no carbon stable 13C isotope chloromethane being detected, indicating that chloromethane was not directly generated from TCE. The investigation concluded that chloromethane was not a direct product of TCE dechlorination at the granular graphite cathode and that it was formed at the surface of the graphite anode due to the oxidation of the chloride, the major product of TCE dechlorination.