You are here:
A COMPARISON OF LIQUID AND GAS-PHASE PHOTOOXIDATION TREATMENT OF METHYL TERTIARY BUTYL ETHER: SYNTHETIC AND FIELD SAMPLES
Citation:
SahleDemessie*, E, T Richardson*, C. B. Almquist, AND U R. Pillai**. A COMPARISON OF LIQUID AND GAS-PHASE PHOTOOXIDATION TREATMENT OF METHYL TERTIARY BUTYL ETHER: SYNTHETIC AND FIELD SAMPLES. Arnold, R.G. (ed.), JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING. American Society of Chemical Engineering (AIChE), New York, NY, 128(9):782-790, (2002).
Description:
The feasibility of photo-oxidation treatment of metyl tert-butyl either (MTBE) in water was investigated using two systems, 1) a slurry falling film photo-reactor, and 2) an integrated air-stripping with gas phase photooxidation system. MTBE-contaminated synthetic water and field samples from contaminated sites were used for these studies. Using a TiO2 slurry (0.1 g/L; Degussa P25) flowing down at a rate of up to0.26 L/min over the inner surface of a glass tube surrounding a 1-kW medium pressure mercury lamp, more than 99% of MTBE in the synthetic samples, initially at 1 mg/L was degraded within 90 minutes. The major degradation products from MTBE were tert-butyl alcohol (TBA). tert-butyl formate (TBF), and small amounts of acetone. However, the degradation of MTBE and its byproducts in contaminated groundwater samples was hindered significantly by dissolved metals such as Fe2+, chloride ions, and aromatic organic species. Integrating air stripping with gas-phase photocatalysts is an effective alternative that would not be affected by the water chemistry. The reaction rates for MTBE degradation in the gas phase are orders of magnitude faster than in aqueous solution.