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

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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.