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PHOTOTHERMAL DETOXIFICATION OF AIR TOXICS
Citation:
Chen, C., J. Graham, AND B. Dellinger. PHOTOTHERMAL DETOXIFICATION OF AIR TOXICS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/A-94/105.
Description:
There has long been interest in utilizing photochemical methods for the detoxification of hazardous organic materials. nfortunately, classical, low temperature (i.e., ambient or near ambient) photochemical processes are either too slow or fail to completely generalize the targeted wastes to be practical for wide spread use. esearchers at the University of Dayton Research Institute have recently developed a photothermal process that overcame the problem previously encountered with photochemical detoxification techniques. pecifically, it has been demonstrated that elevated temperatures (i.e., > 200 degrees C) increase the intensity of light absorption by typical hazardous organic chemicals, and that the spectral region of absorption broadens, and shifts towards the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectra. his results in a far greater potential for air toxics to absorb near ultraviolet radiation than was previously thought. t has also been shown elevated temperatures significantly increase the rate of photothermal reactions, raking this process a viable technique for the destruction of air toxics. n this paper the authors will discuss the theoretical foundation for the photothermal detoxification process, and present a summary of the work in progress to develop a Photothermal Detoxification Unit (PDU) which will include examples of high temperature absorption spectra, and the results from actual trials with a Laboratory Scale Photothermal Detoxification Unit (LS-PDU).