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A Photocatalytic Ti02 Anode and Membrane Reactor for the Enhanced Destruction of Chioro-Organic Compounds in Water--CeraMem Corporation, 12 Clematis Avenue, Waltham, MA 02154-7011; 781-899-4495
Dr. Bruce Bishop, Principal Investigator
Mr. Robert Goldstein, Business Official
DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-98ER82547
Amount: $750,000
Remediation of contaminated soil at DOE sites often encompasses the ex situ treatment of contaminated groundwater (pump and treat operations). However, current treatment methods for removing of halogenated organic contaminants (such as trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), carbon tetrachloride, and chloroform) are inadequate, and new wastewater treatment technologies are needed. This project will develop a photocatalytic reactor that uses a photocatalyst to offer an efficient means (in terms of quantum efficiency) of oxidizing organics. The reactor concept focuses on the elimination of various process kinetic and mass transfer rate limitations, as well as on associated inefficiencies for aqueous-phase photocatalytic oxidation. During Phase I, a porous, aluminum oxide-supported, thin film photoanode, comprised of a conductive gold underlayer and a tin oxide-titanium oxide (SnO2-TiO2 ) overlayer, was fabricated. It was shown that the SnO2-TiO2 photoanode exhibited a photocurrent over two orders of magnitude greater than that of pure TiO2. Additionally, it was demonstrated that the rate of tricholorethylene mineralization over the photoanode was over twice that of a pure TiO2 photoanode, on a per gram of TiO2 basis. In Phase II, the TiO2-SnO2 photoanode structure will be optimized for both performance and cost, then adapted to a novel photoreactor system. A bench scale version of the system will be built and debugged, and tested in a 500-hour field test.
Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: The proposed technology should aid in the removal of refractory organic contaminants, especially halocarbons, from contaminated groundwater and industrial effluents.