Comparison of Hydroxyl Radical Generation for Various Advanced Oxidation Combinations as Applied to Foundries

Abstract

The authors monitored hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), ozone (O₃), and apparent hydroxyl radical (OH·) concentrations in the liquid phase, along with gas phase ozone when operating an advanced oxidation (AO) system that included H₂O₂, O₃, sonication, and underwater plasma (UWAP). The OH· radical converted non-fluorescent terephthalic acid to fluorescent hydroxyterephthalic acid (HTA). As determined from HTA formation, when a 500 ppm H₂O₂ dose in tap water was combined with O₃ and sonication, nearly twice as much OH· (0.72 ppm) accumulated than with H₂O₂ alone. When UWAP accompanied H₂O₂, O₃, and sonication, these together generated 15–35% more OH· than when UWAP was excluded. When ozone was introduced into this AO system, the AO system decomposed almost all the O₃. This research has been conducted as a part of a study that has appraised this advanced oxidation system (Sonoperoxone) in green sand foundries, where it has diminished volatile organic compound (VOC) and hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions by 20–75%; and clay and coal consumption by 20–35%.

Keywords:

• Ozone
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Hydroxyl Radical
• Advanced Oxidation
• Terephthalic Acid
• Foundry Applications
• Sonoperoxone