Florida State University Research Foundation, Inc.

Wright C Finney

Bruce R Locke

Amit K Sharma

Pedro G Arce

David R Grymonpre

Novel accelerated methods involving corona discharge, and preferably pulsed streamer high voltage corona discharge, in combination with an effective amount of suitable particles to break down organic contaminants, such as phenol and phenol red, in aqueous mediums are disclosed. More particularly, it has been discovered that the addition of an effective amount of suitable particles to the aqueous phase of a corona reactor greatly affects the properties of the corona discharge, i.e., streamer length, intensity, number of streamers and sparkover voltage, thereby significantly increasing the breakdown voltage (i.e., the maximum voltage prior to sparkover), so that the removal of organic contaminants may be accelerated, since the production of hydroxyl radicals, aqueous electrons and hydrogen peroxide increases with increases in the applied discharge voltage. As a result, it has been discovered that the addition of such particles to the fluid in the corona reactor leads to a decrease in exposure time and increase in efficiency. The methods may be practiced in a corona reactor containing a grounded plane electrode suspended above a hollow needle point electrode connected to a high voltage rotating spark gap pulsed power supply.

Accelerated methods of oxidizing organic contaminants in aqueous mediums using corona induced reactions and particles therewith

A method for oxidizing an organic contaminant in an aqueous medium generates H O in the aqueous medium through the use of a corona discharge procedure. A quantity of hydroxyl radicals is generated from the H O . An organic contaminant is oxidized in the aqueous medium by reacting the hydroxyl radicals with the organic contaminant, the oxidation being enhanced by methods for facilitating the generation of hydroxyl radicals.

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Tallahassee, FL, United States of America

Wright C Finney