Toluene-Containing Gas Stream Treatment by Persulfate-Based Oxidation: Process Variables Affecting Mass Transfer

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Water Treatment Technologies

Background:

• Industrial off-gases often contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like toluene.
• Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) are effective for pollutant degradation but rely on efficient gas-to-liquid mass transfer.
• Optimizing mass transfer is critical for the performance of gas-phase AOPs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and optimize the gas-to-liquid mass transfer of toluene in an activated persulfate AOP.
• To evaluate the impact of reactor configuration, diffuser type, and water matrix on toluene degradation efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Toluene degradation was studied using an activated persulfate AOP.
• Experiments compared bubble reactors versus bubble column reactors with varying aspect ratios.
• The study assessed different diffusers (aquarium vs. plates) with varying porosities and water matrices (distilled vs. tap water).

Main Results:

• The bubble column reactor with a diffuser plate exhibiting higher porosity yielded the best toluene degradation performance.
• Process efficiency was not significantly affected by the type of water matrix used (distilled vs. tap water).
• Optimized reactor and diffuser configurations enhance toluene removal from gas streams.

Conclusions:

• A bubble column reactor combined with a high-porosity diffuser plate is highly effective for toluene removal via activated persulfate AOP.
• The use of tap water is feasible, simplifying practical applications and reducing operational costs.
• This research provides a foundation for designing efficient AOP systems for industrial VOC abatement.