Porphyrin-Mediated Destruction of Nitro-Energetics

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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
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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.

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WHAT IS THE PROBLEM 2 ?

• Currently 500,000 tons of unexploded outdated
  obsolete explosives and munitions/propellants/fuel
  s 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.

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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.

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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.
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PROCESS DIAGRAM
Hazardous Material Reservoir
SENSOR
PUMP
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
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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.
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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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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SAMPLE DATA OF TNT DESTRUCTION
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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.

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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.

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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)!

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THE REACTOR CAN BE INSTALLED AT A SPECIFIC SITE
OR CAN BE MOVED TO A LOCATION FOR TEMPORARY USE
OR FOR FIELD USE. Dont bring the material to
us, take us to the waste material! ON-SITE
REMEDIATION