Degradation of gas-phase ethanol using TiO2 photocatalyst

TiO2 has been studied in the degradation of ethanol for indoor application. A dynamic flowing non-loop system was utilized. The reactor was a quartz tube filled with the TiO2 catalyst with glass wool on the ends. The analytical equipment used were Vernier's ethanol and CO2 sensors with a two-point calibration performed on the ethanol sensor. The purpose of the calibration was to create a known standard to establish accurate readings. The experimental procedure followed the scheme of bypassing the reactor, flowing into the reactor without the UV lights on for a small period, turning the UV lights on for five minutes, and then going back to the bypass. A CFD simulation using ANSYS Fluent was done to determine the optimal inlet and outlet positions of the biochamber that housed the sensors. The objective of the simulation was to determine which inlet and outlet locations provided the best fluid flow for sensor contact and mixing. Sensitivity analysis of varying parameters were tested to determine the optimal settings in producing accurate results to fulfill the simulation goals. It was determined that a vertical position biochamber with an inlet centered on the top face and the outlet on the bottom of a side face was ideal. The main experimental results showed that ethanol of both low and high concentrations were completely or almost fully degraded into carbon-products. The results showed that there was CO2 consumption and it was most likely due to a combination of sensor inaccuracy and accumulation onto the catalyst surface. However, the sensor inaccuracy would not account for the entirely of the CO2 consumption and previous studies have shown that carbon-products do form on the catalyst surface. Therefore, it can be asserted that CO2 has accumulated on the catalyst and the inclusion of water may have caused catalyst deactivation. Having the light on the photoreactor the whole time rather than waiting to turn on the light has shown to decrease the period of degradation but has no effect on the amount of degradation. Research from Nimlos, Muggli, etc., have determined that intermediate products such as acetaldehyde, acetic acid, formaldehyde, and formic acid form during ethanol degradation and this can be assumed to have occurred in this research as well. These intermediate products were not analyzed for this study, but has been included in the go-forward for future works. For indoor applications, TiO2 catalyst have already been implemented into consumer and commercialized air purifiers, but there is tremendous potential for HVAC systems. There are concerns with HVAC application as discussed, but if implemented correctly, it can be a useful tool for indoor air purification.