Corona method and apparatus for altering carbon containing compounds

• US 6,730,275 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2000
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Original Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Inventors: Sharma, Amit K., Josephson, Gary B., Camaioni, Donald M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayekar, Kishor
• Application Number:
  US09/733,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20030049183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 422/186.04
• US Class Current: 422/186.04
• CPC Class Codes: A62D 2101/22 containing halogen
• CPC Class Codes: A62D 2101/28 containing oxygen, sulfur, selenium or tellurium, i.e. chalcogen
• CPC Class Codes: A62D 2203/10 Apparatus specially adapted for treating harmful chemical agents; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A62D 3/19 to plasma
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/088 giving rise to electric discharges for heating purposes H05B7/00; for the production of ozone C01B13/11, H01T19/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0849 Corona pulse discharge
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/4608 using electrical discharges
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/30 Organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/36 containing halogen
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/363 PCB's; PCP's
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/003 Coaxial constructions, e.g. a cartridge located coaxially within another

Abstract

The present invention is a method and apparatus for altering a carbon-containing compound in an aqueous mixture. According to a first aspect of the present invention, it has been discovered that for an aqueous mixture having a carbon containing compound with an ozone reaction rate less than the ozone reaction rate of pentachlorophenol, use of corona discharge in a low or non-oxidizing atmosphere increases the rate of destruction of the carbon containing compound compared to corona discharge an oxidizing atmosphere. For an aqueous mixture containing pentachlorphenol, there was essentially no difference in destruction between atmospheres. According to a second aspect of the present invention, it has been further discovered that an aqueous mixture having a carbon-containing compound in the presence of a catalyst and oxygen resulted in an increased destruction rate of the carbon containing compound compared to no catalyst.

Claims

1. An apparatus for altering a carbon containing compound in an aqueous mixture, said carbon containing compound having as ozone reaction rate less than or equal to the ozone reaction rate of pentachiorophenol, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a vessel having an inlet for receiving said aqueous mixture;

(b) said vessel configured to have a non-oxidative atmosphere within said vessel;

(c) a means for providing a pressure of less than one atmosphere within said vessel; and

(d) at least one cylindrical first electrode positioned concentrically through a second electrode which is a flow tube and configured to be positioned adjacent to a surface of an aqueous mixture placed within said vessel and a second electrode capable of being in contact with an aqueous mixture placed within said vessel, wherein a gap between said first electrode and said surface is from about 0.5 cm to about 5 cm may be formed; and

(e) a source for applying electric potential to said electrodes and creating a corona discharge from said at least one first electrode to alter said carbon containing compound.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the distance between said at least one first electrode and said flow tube is controlled to achieve a preferred gap between a falling film through said flow tube and said first electrode to achieve an optimum plasma field.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said preferred gap is between about 0.5 cm to about 1.0 cm.