SBIR-STTR Award

This project is to research and develop a low-temperature, costeffective catalytic air pollution control system called d-tox to destroy low concentration, volatile organic compounds (voc's) including volatile halogenated organics (vhoc's). The objective of the phase i program is to determine the feasibility of using this d-tox system for destroying vhoc's emissions such as tce, dce, and pce from a stripping tower using air to strip the vhoc's from water. It has been determined that a combination of uv irradiation and a proprietary catalyst can destroy some vhoc's and other voc's in dilute concentration in air. The test program is designed to conduct parametric evaluation on a pilot scale and carry out trade-off studies. The results of the studies will determine feasibility of the d-tox system to destroy these particular vhoc's in a saturated air stream. A preliminary engineering analysis will determine projected costs for use of stripping towers and other sources venting vhoc's in saturated air

There is a growing need for a process which results in the decomposition of volatile halogenated organic compunds (VHOCs) in air to non-toxic by-products. Ultrox International demonstrated in Phase I that its catalytic decontamination pilot system (called D-TOX) can decompose 85% or better perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) from effluent air from a pilot stripping tower. The purpose of Phase II is to develop the D-TOX unit from the feasibility stage to a reliable, cost-effective prototype stage. A two-year program is proposed. In the first year the physical/chemical functions of the unique and proprietary catalyst will be discerned and optimized and toxic by-products will be minimized. In the second year, prolonged pilot testing will be carried out using a second generation pilot D-TOX unit. Testing will be conducted both at generation pilot D-TOX unit. Testing will be conducted both at Ultrox's facilities and at groundwater sites in California.