Oxidative and Reductive Degradation of Mixed Contaminants by Bifunctional Aluminum
Publication: Practice Periodical of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste Management
Volume 10, Issue 1
Abstract
Transformation of various contaminants including carbon tetrachloride (CT), methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), trichloroethylene (TCE), and bis(2-chloroethyl) ether (BCEE) using bifunctional aluminum was examined in batch reactors. Reductive degradation was observed only in reactions with CT while MTBE, TCE, and BCEE underwent oxidative pathways. In a batch reactor containing both CT and MTBE, oxidation of MTBE and reduction of CT by bifunctional aluminum took place simultaneously in the presence of oxygen. The MTBE was degraded to tert-butyl formate, tert-butyl alcohol, acetone, methyl acetate, and isobutene while the reduction of CT produced chloroform and dichloromethane. This indicates that bifunctional aluminum has a dual functionality of decomposing both oxidatively and reductively degradable contaminants together. Aluminum metal serves as a reductant while oxygen acts as an oxidant. Oxidizing capacity of bifunctional aluminum, resulted from reductive activation of dioxygen , is dependent on both oxygen level and effectiveness of reductants. It was found that the redox potential of reaction systems can function as a simple indicator to determine the oxidizing capacity of bifunctional aluminum.
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Acknowledgment
Funding for this research was provided by the National Science Council, Republic of China (Taiwan) through Contract No. NSCT93-2211-E-390-006-.
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Published In
Practice Periodical of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste Management
Volume 10 • Issue 1 • January 2006
Pages: 41 - 45
Copyright
© 2006 ASCE.
History
Received: Aug 9, 2005
Accepted: Aug 9, 2005
Published online: Jan 1, 2006
Published in print: Jan 2006
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