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Environmental Aspects and Technologies

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.

In the field of catalytic gas treatment, our research focuses on:

  • Development of catalysts for reducing nitrogen oxide emissions (NOx, N₂O) through direct catalytic decomposition and selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ammonia.
  • Development of catalysts for reducing ammonia emissions through selective catalytic oxidation.
  • Development of heterogeneous catalysts for the oxidation of toxic and chlorinated VOCs in the gas phase, such as dichloromethane, perchloroethylene, formaldehyde/methanol and other compounds.
  • Investigation of the effects of preparation methods and metal precursors on the key physicochemical properties of the catalysts under development.
  • Testing the catalytic activity, selectivity and stability of prepared catalysts.
  • Investigation of the mechanisms and kinetics of catalytic reactions.
  • Scale-up of laboratory data and design of supported catalyst systems.
  • Correlation of experimental results with molecular modelling.

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.

The research focuses on the following areas:

  • Photocatalytic reduction of CO₂ in the presence of various photocatalysts.
  • Photocatalytic removal of N₂O and NOx in reactors with different geometries.
  • Photochemical removal of VOCs from the gas phase.

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.

Our research focuses on:

  • Investigating the potential use of pyrolysed biomass, animal-derived residues and petroleum coke as sorbents for volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
  • Targeted preparation of sorbents with optimised structural properties.
  • Research on the adsorption of Hg and other heavy metals on solid sorbents in flue gases from fossil fuel combustion.
  • Investigation of the sorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
  • Correlation of experimental results with molecular modelling.
  • Scale-up of laboratory data to larger-scale applications.

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.

Our research focuses on:

  • Development of analytical methods for the determination of persistent and potentially hazardous substances in water.
  • Research into wastewater treatment and purification using biological methods, including biosorption and microbial degradation.
  • Research into wastewater treatment and purification using physical methods, including adsorption, UV-induced degradation and microwave treatment.
  • Research into wastewater treatment and purification using chemical methods.