Ozone catalytic oxidation of gaseous toluene over MnO2-based ozone decomposition catalysts immobilized on a nonwoven fabric

Abstract

Degradation of toluene gas by ozone catalytic oxidation (OZCO) by using a MnO2-based ozone decomposition catalyst (ODC) was investigated to clarify the reactive site of ODC material with O3. An optimum structure for the ODC to remove O3 and toluene were proposed. For honeycomb ODC, toluene degradation by OZCO occurred only around the entrance of the honeycomb ODC, and we expected that a thinner ODC would increase the toluene degradation efficiency. A nonwoven fabric on which ODC was immobilized was developed to decompose O3 and volatile organic compounds simultaneously. The toluene degradation ratio and the mineralization of toluene to CO2 were determined to evaluate the performance of the fabric. Furthermore, the effects of relative humidity and O3 concentration on the decomposition and mineralization ratios were also investigated with or without 254 nm UV irradiation (UV254). The fabric decomposed and mineralized toluene to CO2, even at low O3 concentrations. Although high humidity reduced the degradation ratio of toluene, UV254 irradiation improved the recovery of the degradation ratio and increased the mineralization ratio.