Contribution of aluminas and aluminosilicates to the formation of PCDD/Fs on fly ashes

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-1-2016

Abstract

Chlorinated aromatics undergo surface-mediated reactions with metal oxides to form Environmentally Persistent Free Radicals (EPFRs) which can further react to produce polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). Previous work using laboratory-made fly ash surrogates composed of transition metal oxides deposited on silica powder has confirmed their ability to mimic fly ash in the production of PCDD/Fs. However, little is known about the propensity of aluminas and aluminosilicates, other components of fly ash, to form PCDD/Fs. A fly ash sample containing both alumina and mullite, an aluminosilicate, was tested for PCDD/F formation ability and compared to PCDD/F yields from the thermal degradation of 2-monochlorophenol (2-MCP) precursor over γ-alumina, α-alumina, and mullite. A packed-bed flow reactor was used to investigate the thermal degradation of 2-MCP over the various catalysts at 200-600 °C. Fly ash gave similar PCDD/F yields to surrogates made with similar transition metal content. γ-alumina, which is thermodynamically unfavorable, was very catalytically active and gave low PCDD/F yields despite a high destruction of 2-MCP. Mullite and α-alumina, the thermodynamically favorable form of alumina, yielded higher concentrations of dioxins and products with a higher degree of chlorine substitution than γ-alumina. The data suggest that certain aluminas and aluminosilicates, commonly found in fly ash, are active catalytic surfaces in the formation of PCDD/Fs in the post-flame cool zones of combustion systems and should be considered as additional catalytic surfaces active in the process.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Chemosphere

First Page

2421

Last Page

2426

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