A Water Treatment System Based on the Electrochemical Synthesis of Oxidants

第一阶段的小企业创新研究提案涉及开发一种新工艺，利用臭氧和过氧化氢破坏水中不需要的副产品和环境污染物。在工业和环境实践中使用这些化学氧化剂的兴趣持续增加。该研究涉及在单个电化学反应器中成对电化学合成臭氧和过氧化氢。组合这两种反应的益处是：（1）较低的操作成本，因为可以以一种氧化剂的价格获得两种氧化剂;（2）消除了运输和储存可按需产生的过氧化氢的需要;（3）两种氧化剂一起提供了比单独使用任一种氧化剂更高的氧化能力;（4）可电化学产生的水相臭氧浓度显著超过通过常规臭氧产生方法可获得的浓度;（5）与常规的臭氧产生方法相比，电化学臭氧产生需要简化的设备，从而允许紧凑的模块化设计，现场安装和处理现场之间的运输。在单个反应器中合成臭氧和过氧化氢是一个相当大的挑战，因为每一个都需要基本上不同的反应条件。拟议的研究通过开发一种新型的电化学电池来解决这些困难。

This Phase I Small Business Innovation Research proposal concerns the development of a new process for destroying unwanted byproducts and environmental pollutants in water using ozone and hydrogen peroxide. There is continuing and increasing interest in the use of these chemical oxidants in industrial and environmental practices. The proposed research involves the paired electrochemical synthesis of both ozone and hydrogen peroxide in a single electrochemical reactor. The benefits of combining these two reactions are: (1) lower operating costs, as two oxidizing agents can be obtained for the price of one; (2) the elimination of the need for transportation and storage of hydrogen peroxide which can be generated on demand; (3) both oxidants together provide enhanced oxidation capabilities over the use of either oxidant alone; (4) aqueous phase ozone concentrations that can be generated electrochemically significantly exceed those obtainable by conventional methods of ozone generation; (5) electrochemical ozone generation requires simplified equipment compared to the conventional method of ozone generation allowing compact modular design for easier on-site installation and transportation between treatment sites. Synthesizing ozone and hydrogen peroxide in a single reactor is a considerable challenge because each requires fundamentally distinct reaction conditions. The proposed research addresses these difficulties through the development of a new type of electrochemical cell.