2009 journal article

Room-temperature oxidation of propanal using catalysts synthesized by electrochemical deposition

Transactions of the ASABE, 52(4), 1337–1344.

By: P. Kolar* & J. Kastner

Source: NC State University Libraries
Added: August 6, 2018

Poultry rendering emissions contain aldehydes that are reactive and regulated volatile organic compounds requiring mitigation. This research presents an application of catalytic oxidation technology to treat aldehydes at room temperature using ozone as an oxidant and metal oxides deposited on activated carbon as catalysts. Four types of catalysts were tested: activated carbon, activated carbon impregnated with iron oxide, and activated carbon electrochemically deposited with nickel and cobalt oxides. Iron oxides were deposited on activated carbon via traditional dry impregnation, while nickel and cobalt were deposited on activated carbon via electrochemical deposition. The prepared catalysts' activities were tested in a continuous differential packed-bed reactor, using an ozone generator and gas chromatography. Propanal (50 to 250 ppmv) was tested as a representative contaminant, and ozone (1500 ppmv) was used as an oxidant. Experiments with activated carbon as a catalyst indicated that 70% removal was achieved within 0.1 s residence time, and the oxidation rates of propanal were determined to be in the range of 90 10-9 to 300 10-9 mol/g-s. However, when iron oxide-deposited activated carbon was tested for propanal oxidation, the oxidation rates decreased significantly (7 10-9 to 60 10-9 mol/g-s), probably due to the clogging of the micro- and meso-pores of the activated carbon support with iron oxide particles. When the electrochemically deposited nickel and cobalt oxide catalysts were tested, propanal oxidation rates increased by 20% to 25%. Based on the preliminary results, electrochemical deposition on activated carbon appears to be a valuable tool in synthesizing advanced catalysts for use in air pollution remediation.