CATALYSTS FOR THE OXIDATION OF CHLORINATED HYDROCARBONS

WIDELY USED CHLORINATED HYDROCARBONS (CHCS) SUCH AS TRICHLOROETHYLENE, PERCHLOROETHYLENE AND METHYLENE CHLORIDE ARE RECOGNIZED AS CARCINOGENS AND MUTAGENS, AND CONTRIBUTE TO GLOBAL WARMING AND OZONE DEPLETION. THEREFORE, THERE IS AN INCREASING NEED FOR LOW COST AND EFFICIENT METHODS FOR THE CONTROL OF CHC EMISSIONS. CATALYTIC INCINERATION IS GENERALLY THE TECHNOLOGY OF CHOICE BECAUSE IT HAS LOW ENERGY REQUIREMENTS AND PRODUCES FEW TOXIC BYPRODUCTS. HOWEVER, THE CURRENT CATALYSTS DO NOT PERFORM NEARLY AS WELL AS THOSE USED IN THE DESTRUCTION OF NON-CHLORINATED VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS. PRECIOUS METAL CATALYSTS SUCH AS PLATINUM HAVE LOW ACTIVITY AND MUST BE RUN AT TEMPERATURES IN EXCESS OF 500 DEGREES CENTIGRADE TO OXIDIZE THE CHCS AND AVOID CATALYST DEGRADATION. BASE METAL CATALYSTS ARE MUCH MORE ACTIVE, BUT ARE POWERFULLY POISONED BY WATER. IN PHASE I, TDA WILL SYNTHESIZE AND CHARACTERIZE A SERIES OF HIGHLY ACTIVE MODIFIED METAL OXIDE CATALYSTS WHOSE ACTIVITY IS ENHANCED BY THE PRESENCE OF WATER. TDA WILL TEST THEM AGAINST A RANGE OF CHCS, EVALUATE THEIR KINETIC PERFORMANCE, AND CARRY OUT AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THEY ARE SUPERIOR TO CURRENTLY AVAILABLE CATALYSTS.