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Porphyrin-Mediated Destruction of Nitro-Energetics Project # OSU04-05 DAC

Project Team Principal Investigator H. James Harmon Graduate Assistant Marty Monigold Jason Robinson Mahmadur Rahman Clint Conner Undergraduate Assistant Ryan Scott. Porphyrin-Mediated Destruction of Nitro-Energetics Project # OSU04-05 DAC.

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Porphyrin-Mediated Destruction of Nitro-Energetics Project # OSU04-05 DAC

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  1. Project Team Principal Investigator H. James Harmon Graduate Assistant Marty Monigold Jason Robinson Mahmadur Rahman Clint Conner Undergraduate Assistant Ryan Scott Porphyrin-Mediated Destruction of Nitro-Energetics Project # OSU04-05 DAC

  2. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? • The production of TNT generates 1.5 gallons of toxic/hazardous waste called “red water” for every pound of TNT made. • TNT has not been made in USA since 1984 because of difficulty in treating “red water”. • To prevent US dependence of foreign suppliers of TNT, TNT production will resume by 2007. • A way to treat “red water” is needed to allow for TNT production.

  3. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM #2 ? • Currently 500,000 tons of unexploded outdated obsolete explosives and munitions/propellants/fuels are in storage in US with 50,000 tons added each year. • Demilitarization of these energetic explosives produces millions of gallons a hazardous waste stream called “pink water” which must be treated before the water can be released to environment of water treatment facilities. • Current demilitarization explosives neutralization procedures are expensive in both their hardware and operating costs.

  4. OUR SOLUTION • Treat “red” and “pink” water waste streams photocatalytically to destroy the hazardous compounds. • This process would be an in-line water processor that utilizes a solid-state catalyst and sunlight. • Addition of chemicals is not needed • Hardware costs and operating costs are very low.

  5. COMPONENTS OF THE OSU-DAC REACTOR • SOLID-PHASE PHOTOCATALYST IN A TRANSPARENT HOUSING; optimize surface area. • SOLAR TRACKING PLATFORM to keep the panels oriented to the sun during the day for optimum illumination. • PUMP to move the material to be treated. POWER can be provided by batteries or small gas-powered power plant/generator.

  6. PROCESS DIAGRAM Hazardous Material Reservoir PUMP SENSOR Control Pump Speed SOLAR CATALYTIC REACTOR SENSOR Feedback Controls Not Clean enough: Recycle Fluid Flow Recirculation Valve Quality Standards Met EFFLUENT for Further treatment or discharge

  7. SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF THE SOLAR REACTOR PANEL inlet outlet The overall size will be determined from mass and strength of the reactor panel. Panel thickness is about 0.4 cm.

  8. WHAT IS A PHOTOCATALYST? A photocatalyst is a material that utilizes the energy of light to power a chemical reaction. Our photocatalyst destroys carbon compounds using light in a manner similar to the destruction of carbon compounds in automobile exhaust by the (heat-powered) catalytic converter. A catalyst is not consumed or used up in the reaction.

  9. HOW DOES A PHOTOCATALYST WORK? Light is absorbed by the material. In our case, blue light is absorbed by the catalyst. The energy of the light is transferred to the catalyst, increasing its energy and “activating” it. The activated catalyst reacts with the compounds and powers the desired chemical reaction(s).

  10. CHLOROPHYLL IS A PHOTOCATALYST THAT POWERS PHOTOSYNTHESIS • Chlorophyll absorbs light and converts it to chemical energy. • The energy is then used to make carbon compounds (sugars) from CO2. • The OSU-DAC photocatalytic reactor utilizes the converted energy to break down carbon compounds into CO2 and other molecules such as ammonia and nitrate.

  11. WHAT CAN THE OSU-DAC REACTOR BREAK DOWN? • TRINITROTOLUENE (TNT) • BENZENE • TOLUENE • DINITROBENZENE • NITROBENZENE • DINITROTOLUENE • NITROTOLUENE • DIAZINON (pesticide) • HYDROLYSIS PRODUCTS FROM NERVE AGENTS (these are what linger and are measured to determine the past presence of Weapons of Mass Destruction) • AMMONIA • The catalyst also destroys virus and bacteria.

  12. SAMPLE DATA OF TNT DESTRUCTION

  13. WHAT LIGHT SOURCES CAN BE USED? • SUNLIGHT is best • 12-Volt AUTOMOBILE HEADLAMPS work but not as well as SUNLIGHT. Thus, a slower rate of destruction can still occur at night or on cloudy days.

  14. POTENTIAL USES • Treatment of waste stream from TNT production. • Treatment of “pink water” from munitions demilitarization. • Treatment of waste water from chemical plants. • Pre-treatment stage for municipal water supplies. • Waste treatment plants. • Water recycling systems on manned space missions. • Environmental spills, etc. • We have a reactive cloth/fabric that could be spread over a stream/lake/pond to perform photocatalytic remediation. • Wash contaminated soils and treat the wash water.

  15. COST OF THE CATALYST? MATERIALS COST LESS THAN $0.50/m2 Thus, a 10 x 30 ft reactor would have less than $6,300 of reuseable catalyst to treat 15,000 gallons per day (OVER 5 MILLION GALLONS A YEAR)!

  16. THE REACTOR CAN BE INSTALLED AT A SPECIFIC SITE OR CAN BE MOVED TO A LOCATION FOR TEMPORARY USE OR FOR FIELD USE. Don’t bring the material to us, take us to the waste material! ON-SITE REMEDIATION

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