Lexuan Zhong

Performance of ultraviolet photocatalytic oxidation for indoor air applications: systematic experimental evaluation.

Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) is a promising technology that has potential to be applied in mechanically ventilated buildings to improve indoor air quality (IAQ). However, the major research studies were done in bench-top scale reactors under ideal reaction conditions. In addition, no study has been carried out on the investigation of the ozonation and photolysis effect using a pilot duct system. The objective of this study is the development of methodologies to evaluate the performance of PCO systems. A systematic parametric evaluation of the effects of various kinetic parameters, such as compounds type, inlet concentration, airflow rate, light intensity, and relative humidity, was conducted, and new interpretations were provided from a fundamental analysis. In addition, the photolysis effect under vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) irradiation for a variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was examined for the first time in a pilot duct system. The performance comparison of ultraviolet C (UVC)-PCO and VUV-PCO was also discussed due to the presence of ozone. Moreover, the formation of by-products generated with or without ozone generation was fully compared to evaluate the PCO technology.

Adsorption performance of titanium dioxide (TiO2) coated air filters for volatile organic compounds

The photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) technology as an alternative method for air purification has been studied for decades and a variety of PCO models indicate that the adsorption of reactants on the catalyst surface is one of the major physical and chemical processes occurring at a heterogeneous photocatalytic reaction. However, limited study explored the adsorption effect of a photocatalyst. This study carried out a systematic evaluation of adsorption performance of titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) coated fiberglass fibers (FGFs), TiO(2) coated carbon cloth fibers (CCFs), and original CCFs air filters at various relative humidity conditions for nine volatile organic compounds. TiO(2)/FGFs, TiO(2)/CCFs, and CCFs were characterized by SEM for morphology and N(2) adsorption isotherm for BET surface area and pore structure. A bench-scale adsorption test setup was constructed and adsorption tests were performed at various relative humidity conditions and four different injected concentrations for each compound. The isothermal adsorption curves at low concentration levels were obtained and they were well described by Langmuir isotherm model. It was noticed that there were significant differences between the adsorption behaviors and photocatalytic activities of TiO(2)/FGFs and TiO(2)/CCFs. It was concluded that adsorption performance is closely related to the characteristics of substrates and therefore, the development of a substrate with high adsorption ability is a promising trend for improving the performance of the UV-PCO technology.

Experimental and modeling study of visible light responsive photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) materials for toluene degradation

Only limited research has examined the development and application of visible light responsive photocatalytic oxidation (PCO), although such materials have great potential for mitigating concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when applied to building surfaces. This study evaluates the performance and characteristics of a visible light responsive photocatalyst, specially, a co-alloyed TiNbON compound with a band energy of 2.3 eV. The PCO material was developed using urea-glass synthesis, characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) methods, and VOC removal efficiency was measured under visible light for toluene (1-5 ppm) at room temperature (21.5°C) and a range of relative humidity (RH: 25 to 65%), flow rate (0.78 to 7.84 cm/s), and irradiance (42 to 95 W/m2). A systematic parametric evaluation of kinetic parameters was conducted. In addition, we compared TiNbON with a commercial TiO2-based material under black light, estimated TiNbONs long-term durability and stability, and tested its ability to thermally regenerate. Using mass transfer and kinetic analysis, three different Langmuir-Hinshelwood (LH) type reaction rate expressions were proposed and evaluated. A LH model considering one active site and competitive sorption of toluene and water was superior to others. The visible-light driven catalyst was able to remove up to 58 % of the toluene, generated less formaldehyde than the commercial TiO2, could be fully regenerated at 150°C, and had reasonable durability and stability. This evaluation of TiNbON shows the potential to remove VOCs and improve air quality for indoor applications. Further research is needed to evaluate the potential for harmful by-products, to identify optimal conditions, and to use field tests to show real-world performance.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in Conventional and High Performance School Buildings in the U.S.

Exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has been an indoor environmental quality (IEQ) concern in schools and other buildings for many years. Newer designs, construction practices and building materials for “green” buildings and the use of “environmentally friendly” products have the promise of lowering chemical exposure. This study examines VOCs and IEQ parameters in 144 classrooms in 37 conventional and high performance elementary schools in the U.S. with the objectives of providing a comprehensive analysis and updating the literature. Tested schools were built or renovated in the past 15 years, and included comparable numbers of conventional, Energy Star, and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified buildings. Indoor and outdoor VOC samples were collected and analyzed by thermal desorption, gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy for 94 compounds. Aromatics, alkanes and terpenes were the major compound groups detected. Most VOCs had mean concentrations below 5 µg/m3, and most indoor/outdoor concentration ratios ranged from one to 10. For 16 VOCs, the within-school variance of concentrations exceeded that between schools and, overall, no major differences in VOC concentrations were found between conventional and high performance buildings. While VOC concentrations have declined from levels measured in earlier decades, opportunities remain to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) by limiting emissions from building-related sources and by increasing ventilation rates.

Evaluation of ultraviolet-photocatalytic oxidation of light alcohols at sub-parts per million concentrations

Ultraviolet photocatalytic oxidation can be a promising technology as it has shown great potential in improving indoor air quality while concurrently providing an energy-efficient solution for application in the heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems. At this time, there are some concerns regarding possible formation of toxic by-products from photocatalytic oxidation reactions that undermine the application of this technology in non-industrial buildings. This article reports the outcome of an experimental study on the evaluation of photocatalytic oxidation reactions of light alcoholic volatile organic compounds with nano TiO2 catalysts at different indoor air conditions. The removal efficiencies of tested individual volatile organic compounds and their by-products were compared at three different parts per billion-level challenge concentrations. Acetaldehyde and formaldehyde were identified as primary by-products, and no significant catalyst deactivation was found during the experiment. The reaction pathways and the selectivity of the reactions were investigated at different relative humidity levels. It is concluded that the humidity had dual effects on the oxidation rate in the case where the degradation rate of the compound under study was relatively higher under low relative humidity levels.

Deactivation and ultraviolet C-induced regeneration of photocatalytic oxidation air filters

Ultra-violet photocatalytic oxidation has been regarded as one of the promising air purification technologies for improving indoor air quality. However, limited availability of experimental data in terms of photocatalyst deactivation and regeneration has hindered successful implementation of ultra-violet photocatalytic oxidation air cleaners in mechanical ventilation systems. The objective of this study is to obtain knowledge of the ultraviolet C-induced regeneration method, the simplest on-site approach, for the recovery of photocatalytic activity of photocatalytic oxidation filters after challenging ultra-violet photocatalytic oxidation systems with approximately 100 ppb of acetone or methyl ethyl ketone. Experimental observations of photocatalyst deactivation, and characterization of fresh and deactivated photocatalyst with the scanning electron microscope technique were presented. During the regeneration process, the production rates of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acetone were hourly quantified under a short-term and a long-term ultraviolet C illumination. The regeneration performance was also examined and compared by testing the single-pass removal efficiency of regenerated photocatalytic oxidation filters by two methods: ultraviolet C illumination and O3-included ultraviolet C illumination. The results indicate that the ultraviolet C-induced regeneration method, superior to O3-assisted ultraviolet C method, plays a certain role in partial recovery of the photocatalytic activity. The degree of recovery would depend on the nature of contaminant gases previously processed in ultra-violet photocatalytic oxidation since different VOCs generate various types and amounts of surface adsorbed by-products, which resist regeneration at a different level. Graphical Abstract. UV-PCO represents a new generation technology for improving indoor air quality. However, little is known about photocatalyst deactivation and regeneration which is a major concern for the purpose of commercialization. The current objective is to explore the UVC-induced regeneration method, the simplest on-site approach, employed in an HVAC system. This work demonstrates a systematic evaluation of deactivation and UV-induced regeneration performance under the conditions relevant to the actual applications for two VOCs. In addition, the gaseous by-product generation rates and O3-assited UVC-induced recovery method were examined for the first time. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT