Photooxidation of sub-parts-per-million toluene and formaldehyde levels an titania using a glass-plate reactor

The effects of humidity and sub-parts-per-million by volume contaminant levels on the photooxidation of formaldehyde and toluene are presented. UV radiation from a black-light lamp and a titania-coated glass-plate reactor were used to develop kinetic oxidation rates. The data indicated that competitive adsorption between water and the two contaminants has a significant effect on the oxidation rate. A simple differential design model is developed and validated using data from two ceramic foam photocatalytic reactors. The utility of rate data developed from the glass-plate reactor as the basis for reactor design models is demonstrated.