In work on decomposition of trichloroethylene on CaO, trichloroethylene was adsorbed on calcium oxide at various temperatures under the pressure of 50 Torr of chlorocarbon. The amount of adsorbed TCE is determined by the gain in the weight of the oxide. Experiments related to surface area and OH groups on CaO revealed that autoclave prepared CaO has a larger number of OH groups compared to conventionally prepared CaO. Studies at lower temperatures are necessary to finish the comparison. A bench-scale fixed bed reactor has been built and is working well. Experiments have been conducted with zero-valent met als to destroy chlorocarbons in water.
Current work is aimed at determining products and material balance.
This project is in its third year. Results of this research are of interest to other researchers and to those in private industry. Representatives from several government agencies have expressed interest in the research.