International DDEP: Understanding and Enhancing Post-Combustion Multi-Pollutant Control with Carbon-Based Materials

该DDEP奖提供资金，支持博士生John Atkinson在台湾的实验室工作，研究用于催化分解有毒燃烧产物的新碳材料，即氮氧化物、汞、二恶英和呋喃。Pi和Atkinson先生在他们的总部园区内在这方面的工作得到了NSF奖项的支持，但台湾的两个实验室提供了独特的实验设施来测试候选碳材料。阿特金森将在台湾国立中央大学和台北理工大学呆上六周，进行燃烧气体净化实验，即同时催化转化燃烧气体中出现的几种微量污染物。对台湾的访问将使这位博士生能够在配备高分辨率光谱分析仪的反应堆中详细研究二恶英和呋喃转化为良性物种的过程，以识别反应产物。这样的设备在美国是没有的。此外，他将在另一个在美国没有的设施中使用固定床反应器来研究碳基材料氧化汞物种的能力。因此，该活动的智力价值源于对这些反应系统化学的更多洞察，否则无法获得。除了促进这位年轻研究人员的专业发展和为他的博士论文提供有价值的数据外，该项目还应该对环境保护改进技术的开发做出贡献。二恶英可以生物积累并造成生物危害，汞也是如此。新的、改进的和廉价的催化剂将允许破坏这些有机化合物和氧化元素汞。氧化后的汞在水中更易溶解，因此在随后的洗涤过程中更容易被吸收。这项活动的另一个重要结果将是加强伊利诺伊大学与台湾这两所机构的国际关系。

AbstractThis DDEP award provides funding to support laboratory work in Taiwan by Ph.D. candidate, John Atkinson, in his study of new carbon materials for catalytic destruction of toxic combustion products, namely, nitrogen oxides, mercury, dioxins and furans. The PI and Mr. Atkinson are supported by an NSF award for work in this area on their home campus, but two laboratories in Taiwan offer unique experimental facilities for testing of candidate carbon materials. Mr. Atkinson will spend six weeks in Taiwan, at National Central University and at National Taipei University of Technology, to undertake combustion-gas-cleaning experiments, i.e., to accomplish simultaneous catalytic conversion of several trace pollutants that appear in combustion gases. The visit to Taiwan will allow the PhD candidate to study in detail the conversion of dioxins and furans into benign species in a reactor equipped with a high resolution spectrographic analyzer for identifying reaction products. Such an apparatus is not available in the U.S. Also, he will study the ability of carbon-based materials to oxidize mercury species using a fixed bed reactor in another facility that is not readily available in the U.S. Thus, the intellectual merit of the activity stems from the additional insight into the chemistry of these reaction systems that would not be otherwise accessible.In addition to enhancing the professional development of this young researcher and providing valuable data for his PhD thesis, the project should contribute to development of improved technologies for environmental protection. The dioxins can bioaccumulate and cause biological harm, as can mercury. New improved and inexpensive catalysts will permit destruction of these organic compounds and oxidation of elemental mercury. Oxidized mercury is more soluble in water and therefore more susceptible to absorption in a subsequent scrubbing process. Another significant consequence of the activity will be to strengthen the international relationship of the University of Illinois with the two institutions in Taiwan.