Chemical transformation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons vapor-adsorbed on coal stack ash

Conference · Thu Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:5561631

Wehry, E L; Mamantov, G; Garrison, A A; Yokley, R A; Engelbach, R J

Chemical reactions of PAHs under environmental conditions recently have received considerable attention, but much remains to be learned of the fate of PAHs in the atmosphere. Reported here is an investigation of the photochemical reactivity of five PAHs adsorbed (from the vapor phase) on eight coal stack ashes of widely different origin and properties. The photochemical behavior of PAHs adsorbed on coal fly ash may be significantly different from that of PAHs in liquid solution, in the form of pure solids, or as adsorbates on alumina or silica. The manner in which coal ash surfaces influence the chemistry of adsorbed PAHs undoubtedly represents a complex interplay of chemical and physical parameters. Their study is complicated by the heterogeneous, complex composition of coal ash and the extreme difficulty of detecting adsorbed organic compounds by optical or particle spectroscopic techniques. The reactivity of adsorbed PAHs exposed to gaseous copollutants also is not well understood. For example, there appears to be a possibility that nonphotochemical nitration reactions reported for absorbed PAHs in the presence of NO/sub 2/ actually result from reactions with HNO/sub 3/ present as a contaminant in commercial NO/sub 2/. The manner in which the reactivity of adsorbed PAHs with NO/sub 2/ is influenced by the nature of the adsorbate surface or the presence of light has not been established. 25 refs., 2 tabs.

• Research Organization: Tennessee Univ., Knoxville (USA). Dept. of Chemistry
• DOE Contract Number: AS05-81ER60006
• OSTI ID: 5561631
• Report Number(s): CONF-8410225-5; ON: DE85013661
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010800 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Waste Management
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400301* -- Organic Chemistry-- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties-- (-1987)
400500 -- Photochemistry
500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTIVATION ENERGY
ADSORBENTS
ADSORPTION
AEROSOL WASTES
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
ANTHRACENE
AROMATICS
ASHES
BENZANTHRACENE
BENZOPYRENE
BITUMINOUS COAL
BLACK COAL
BROWN COAL
CARBON
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
COAL
CONDENSED AROMATICS
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
ELEMENTAL MINERALS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY
ENERGY SOURCES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLY ASH
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GLASS
GRAPHITE
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
INORGANIC ACIDS
LIGNITE
MATERIALS
MINERALS
NITRATES
NITRATION
NITRIC ACID
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
PHENANTHRENE
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PHOTOCHEMISTRY
PHOTOLYSIS
PYRENE
RESIDUES
SILICA GEL
SORPTION
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
SURFACE PROPERTIES
WASTES