Microwave and Sorption of VOCs on Oxide Catalysts

University Of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst MA

Investigators

Abstract

The purpose of this research project is to study the use of microwave radiation in the adsorption/desorption process over oxide sorbents/.catalysts. Past studies have shown that catalysts prepared with microwave treatment can differ from those prepared by other methods. Other studies suggest that microwave radiation can influence catalytic selectivity in several ways: by heating the catalyst, by exciting the reactants, or by creating a plasma that induces reaction on a surface. The PI will study oxide sorbents including zeolites for removal of hydrocarbons (with and without heteroatoms, e.g., chlorine) from air in the presence of water vapor. The application of these studies is the removal of volatile organic carbons (VOCs) from controlled environments and process effluents. The influence of microwave irradiation on the selectivity of adsorption, and the efficiency of desorption will be studies. Sorption isotherms in the presence of microwave energy will be measured to estimate the "effective" surface temperature with microwave radiation. In situ infrared will be developed to measure the temperature and to follow the changes in the sorbed and surface species during exposure to microwave energy. Zeolite sorbents with variable hydroxide contents, i.e., from dydrophobic to hydrophillic will also be looked at. The powere delivery will be varied to determine the efficiencies of these processes compared to the microwave absorption spectra of the sorbent and sorbate systems in later parts of this research. The research spans fundamental microwave spectroscopy of the sorbent-sorbate to ad-desorption studies in the presence of microwave energy to microwave reaction studies and involves the collaboration between three departments.