Environmental remediation using catalytic ozonation with surface bonded bydrophobic heterogeneous catalysts

在水和废水处理过程中，通常使用化学品(如臭氧、氯及其衍生物)来破坏水中的有害污染物和微生物。臭氧是最强大的化学物质之一，它可能会将任何有机水污染物转化为二氧化碳和水，并通过杀死微生物来消毒水。由于臭氧氧化污染物不会留下污泥残留物，对人类的危害最小，而且很容易在一步内完成，空间要求最低；它是解决大量水和废水处理问题的一种选择方法。为了提高臭氧氧化的速度和降低成本，使用合适的催化剂是可能的。这种催化剂为污染物和臭氧在高浓度下聚集在催化剂活性中心并优先反应提供了理想的环境。从以前的工作中，我们了解到连接到氧化铝载体上的长链全氟碳基团为臭氧和碳氢化合物污染物提供了如此理想的介质。该催化剂可以提高反应速度和臭氧的利用效率，从而使反应条件更加理想，降低了臭氧氧化工艺的成本。拟议研究计划的长期目标是了解不同参数对臭氧催化剂性能的影响，并利用这些发现开发更有效的工业用催化剂。这项研究的结果将加深我们对臭氧与水中污染物的吸附和多相催化反应的本质的理解。开发一种反应速度快、臭氧利用率高的催化剂将提高臭氧在水和废水处理过程中的技术和经济性。紧凑、低成本的臭氧氧化系统在水和废水处理中有许多应用，特别是在偏远地区和紧急救济营地。

In water and wastewater treatment processes, often chemicals (such as ozone, chlorine and its derivatives) are used to destroy harmful pollutants and microorganisms in water. Ozone is one of the most powerful chemicals that can potentially convert any organic water pollutant into CO2 and water and disinfect the water by killing microorganisms. Since ozonation of pollutants leaves no sludge residue, has minimum hazard to humans and is easily performed in one step with minimum space requirements; it is a method of choice for a large number of water and wastewater treatment problems. To increase the speed and reduce the cost of ozonation process it is possible to use suitable catalysts. Such a catalyst provides a desirable environment for both pollutants and ozone to come together on the catalyst active site at high concentration and to react preferentially. From the previous work, we have learned that long chains of perfluorocarbon groups bonded to an alumina support provide such a desirable medium for both ozone and hydrocarbon pollutants. The catalysts can increase speed of reaction and utilization efficiency of ozone leading to more desirable reaction conditions and lower cost of ozonation process. The long term goal of the proposed research program is understanding effect of different parameters on performance of ozonation catalyst and to use these findings to develop more effective catalysts for industrial use. The results of this study will increase our understanding of the nature of adsorption and heterogeneous catalytic reactions of ozone with pollutants in water. Development of a catalyst with high reaction rate and high ozone utilization efficiency will improve the technology and economics of using ozone in water and wastewater treatment processes. A compact, low cost ozonation system has many applications in water and wastewater treatment especially in remote areas and emergency relief camps.