title: Destruction of low levels of volatile organic compounds in dry air streams by an electron-beam generated plasma.
abstract: The destruction of parts per million (ppm) levels of volatile organic compounds in a dry air stream by high-energy electron-beam irradiation has been investigated in a pilot plant at the University of Tennessee Space Institute, Tullahoma, Tennessee. In a series of experiments, dry air contaminated with various VOCs in the concentration range of 50-1000 ppm were treated in the UTSI pilot plant to determine the extent of destruction at various electron-beam dose levels. The destruction removal efficiency was determined as a function of the electron beam irradiation dose. The results suggest a charge transfer reaction as the major decomposition mechanism. A theoretical foundation of the process, along with a simple first-generation reaction kinetics model, a summary of the results from the pilot plant flow reactor, and a preliminary cost analysis for a full-scale detoxification plant using currently available electron-beam gum technology are presented in this paper.
authors.affiliation: University of Tennessee Space Institute, Tullahoma, USA.
authors.lastname: Anshumali
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Winkleman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sheth
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants; D001610:Beta Particles; D006256:Hazardous Waste; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000378:metabolism*; D014835:Volatilization; D018505:Waste Management / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D006256:Hazardous Waste; D009930:Organic Chemicals