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Environmental Aspects and Technologies

Purification of waste gas by catalytic processes

Purification of waste gas by catalytic processes

Catalysts are substances widely used not only in the manufacturing industry, but also in the field of waste gas purification. Due to the increasing demands on emissions limit, it is necessary to improve currently used catalysts, and to study and develop new ones.

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In terms of gas purification by catalytic processes we are dealing with:

  • Investigation/ Study of catalysts for the reducing the nitrogen oxides (NOx, N2O) emissions by direct catalytic decomposition and selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ammonia.
  • Study of catalysts for reducing ammonia emissions by selective catalytic oxidation.
  • Study of heterogeneous catalysts for the oxidation of toxic and chlorinated VOCs from the gas phase (e.g. dichloromethane, perchlorethylene, formaldehyde/methanol, etc.).
  • Study of the effect of the preparation procedure and used (metal) precursors on the key physico-chemical properties of the developed catalysts.
  • Testing the catalytic activity, selectivity and stability of prepared catalysts.
  • Study of the mechanism and kinetics of catalytic reactions.
  • Transfer of data obtained by laboratory measurements to larger scale and design of the supported catalysts.
  • Correlation of experimental results with molecular modeling.

Waste gas purification by photocatalytic processes

One of the most desired strategies for reducing of CO2 emissions, which production is connected with  the problem of global warming, is the conversion of CO2 into others, more useful chemicals or fuel-based products. This can be achieved by photocatalysis, in which photon energy from light sources is used to activate the catalyst during the reaction. Other pollutants such as N2O, NOx or VOC can also be photocatalytically removedfrom the environment.

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Research is focuses on the following areas:

  • Study of CO2 photocatalytic reduction of in the presence of various photocatalysts.
  • Photocatalytic removal of N2O and NOx in reactors with different geometries.
  • Photochemical removal of VOC in the gas phase.
Waste gas purification by photocatalytic processes
Purification of waste gases using sorption processes

Purification of waste gases using sorption processes

In addition to their ability to remove the pollutant from the waste gas or water, sorbents also allow recover  the pollutant by its targeted desorption from the sorbent surface by its regeneration. In addition, sorbents are often made from waste materials, which  leads to the reduction and recovery of solid waste. For these reasons, the development of new types of sorbents and the study of new technological processes for the solid waste processing leading to development of new sorbents for waste gas treatment are very important part of environmental research.

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In the context of this research, we are dealing with:

  • Study of the possibility of using biomass, animal residues and petroleum coke processed by pyrolysis as sorbents for volatile organic compounds (VOC).
  • Targeted preparation of sorbent with optimized structure.
  • Study of the adsorption of Hg and other heavy metals on solid sorbents in flue gases from fossil fuel combustion.
  • Study of the sorption of volatile organic compounds (VOC).
  • Correlation of experimental results with molecular modeling.
  • Transferring data from the laboratory to a larger scale.

Wastewater treatment

In nature, wastewater treatment is an important step in the water cycle. To maintain the natural balance of the environment, wastewater must be properly treated before being returned to the natural cycle. This process takes place in several stages, during which solid particles, organic matter and chemical pollution are removed.

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In the context of this research, we are dealing with:

  • Development of analytical methods for the determination of persistent and potentially hazardous substances in water.
  • Study of the treatment and purification of wastewater using biological methods – biosorption, microbial decomposition.
  • Study of the treatment and purification of wastewater using physical methods – adsorption, decomposition by UV radiation, the use of microwave radiation.
  • Study of the wastewater treatment and purification using chemical methods.
Wastewater treatment