The report gives results of adipic acid degradation tests at EPA's IERL-RTP limestone SO2 scrubber, to investigate the effects of operating variables on unaccountable adipic acid loss. It was found that: (1) adipic acid degradation could not be totally quenched by only lowering the pH below 5.0; (2) pH change did significantly affect unaccountable adipic acid loss (other factors may increase the adipic acid degradation rate at both high and low pH); (3) an appreciable amount of adipic acid loss was caused by coprecipitation with calcium sulfite; and (4) forced oxidation could aggravate the adipic acid degradation loss even at pH below 5.0. Adipic acid loss could be reduced: at high sulfite concentrations (the adipic acid degradation rate could be decreased by lowering the destructive free radical concentrations by high total sulfite); in the presence of manganous ion at low pH (the metal ion might act as an inhibitor to the oxidative degradation reaction at low pH); and with high natural oxidation (the adipic acid coprecipitation loss might be reduced with the high natural oxidation). Adipic acid degradation (loss) data were compared from four different test facilities. Most of the data also support these conclusions.

Caption title. "February 1981." "EPA-600/7-81-017." Microfiche;