Project Title:

Catalytic Oxidation of Halogenated Hydrocarbons

TDA Research, Inc.
12345 West 52nd Avenue
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033

93-1  12.06   7819    _       AMOUNT REQUESTED $70,000

Catalytic Oxidation of Halogenated Hydrocarbons

Abstract:

The control of trace contaminants is carried out by a combination
of activated carbon absorption and catalytic oxidation. The carbon
bed absorbs most hydrocarbons and CHCs, while the catalytic
oxidizer removes the methane and CO which cannot be absorbed.
Because carbon has little affinity for CHCs, and because no current
catalysts oxidize CHCs at reasonable temperatures, the large carbon
bed used to absorb the CHCs must be replaced every three months.
Periodic replacement of the carbon bed is one of the top thirty
maintenance items on Space Station Freedom. To reduce the frequency
with which the bed must be replaced, TDA Research will develop and
test novel metal oxide based catalysts to determine whether they
can oxidize CHCs at reasonable temperatures, in the presence of
water, and without the production of toxic by-products. These new
catalysts can potentially operate at temperatures 200@C lower than
current platinum catalysts.

The most important commercial use is the control of dilute CHC
emissions from industrial processes. Typical sources include
drycleaning facilities, metal coating and stripping operations,
degreasing vapors from semiconductor and electronics manufacturing,
polymerization processes, and a variety of petrochemical processes.
The technology is also applicable with little modification to the
large scale destruction of CHC inventories.

catalytic oxidizer    halocarbons
carbon adsorption     methylene chloride