PAIRED ELECTROCHEMICAL SYNTHESIS OF OZONE AND HYDROGEN PEROXIDE FOR WASTE WATER TREATMENT

THE REMOVAL OF LOW LEVELS OF ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS FROM GROUNDWATERS AND INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATERS IS AN EXPENSIVE AND ARDUOUS TASK. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE COMBINATION OF OZONEAND HYDROGEN PEROXIDE WITH ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION ("ADVANCED OZONATION PROCESSES", OAP'S) HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY DEMONSTRATED FOR GROUNDWATER, WASTEWATER, LEACHATE AND DRINKING WATER TREATMENT WITHOUT MANY OF THE DISADVANTAGES OF MORE CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT TECHNIQUES. ONE OF THE MAIN BARRIERS TO IMPLEMENTING AOP'S HAS BEEN THE HIGH CAPITAL ANDOPERATING COSTS FOR OZONE GENERATION. THIS PROPOSAL DESCRIBES AN INVESTIGATION INTO AN ELECTROCHEMICAL DEVICE FOR THE PAIRED SYNTHESIS OF OZONE AND HYDROGEN PEROXIDE FROMWATER AND OXYGEN IN A PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANE CELL. THE GENERATION OF OXIDANTS DIRECTLY IN WATER ELIMINATES MANY OF THE PROBLEMS WITH MAKING OAP'S COMMERCIALLY ATTRACTIVE. THEADVANTAGES OF THE PAIRED ELECTROCHEMICAL SYNTHESIS OF O3 ANDH2O2 IN ELECTROLYTE-FREE WATER INCLUDE: (I) LOWER OPERATING COSTS, AS TWO OXIDIZING AGENTS CAN BE OBTAINED FOR THE PRICE OF ONE AND LOWER INITIAL CAPITAL COSTS OF OZONE GENERATION; (II) THE ELIMINATION OF THE NEED FOR TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE OF OXIDANTS BY GENERATING THEM ELECTROCHEMICALLY WITHIN WATER ON DEMAND AT AN AMOUNT THAT IS PROPORTIONAL TO THE WASTE CONCENTRATIONS, AND (III) HIGHER AQUEOUS PHASE OZONE CONCENTRATIONS.