Industrial photocatalytic reactor for degradation of volatile organic compounds in the presence of UV-C light using the catalyst titanium dioxide (TiO2) with or without the additional use of ozone

• Grant number: 16/21878-2
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: August 01, 2018
• End date: July 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Industrial Operations and Equipment for Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Ursula Luana Rochetto Doubek
• Grantee: Ursula Luana Rochetto Doubek
• Company: Ursula Luana Rochetto Doubek - ME
• CNAE: Pesquisa e desenvolvimento experimental em ciências físicas e naturais
• City: Campinas
• Associated scholarship(s): 18/06227-0 - Industrial photocatalytic reactor for degradation of volatile organic compounds in the presence of UV-C light using the catalyst titanium dioxide (TiO2) with or without the additional use of ozone, BP.PIPE

Abstract

The system operates the photodegradation of volatile organic compounds from a set of photochemical reactors designed and positioned according to the needs of the stream to be treated. It is composed of unit modules with treatment capacity of 1 to 1.5 cubic meters per hour for each module and it can be adapted to multiple reactors for treating streams with concentrations up to 3000 ppm VOC. Each unit module is made of stainless steel containing inside a quartz tube which has an UVC light (254 nm) also centered inside of it. The contaminated gas stream passes between the metal surface and the surface of quartz, both coated with titanium dioxide. In the case of the quartz the surface is coated in strips to allow ultraviolet light to reach the metal surface coated. The partially coated quartz with appropriately sized titanium dioxide ranges allows in part the absorption of photons from the lamp through its walls covered and, in part, allows the lamp photon refraction to the inner surface of the reactor where also a film of the catalyst. The insertion of the partially impregnated catalyst quartz tube coated surface increases the illuminated area, and prevent contact with the UV lamp stream contaminated with VOCs protecting it from possible damage. The modular arrangement is in the form of hives being initially proposed the cross-flow inlet. For the initial development of this technology already exists an experimental system of one module in which the researchers have already studied the conversion of volatile organic compounds on various conditions such as surface covered with only titanium dioxide coated surface with titanium dioxide and impregnated with palladium, surface coated with titanium dioxide and impregnated with platinum and the use of ozone as an additional source of oxidizing radicals. The aim in this project is to build and test seven series reactors modules to study the efficiency of the system in industrially relevant flow rates and concentrations. (AU)