SBIR Phase II: Exhaustive Oxidation of Indoor Air Contaminants via an Ozonated, UV Irradiated Fluorocarbon/TiO2 Dispersions

This SBIR Phase II award is to develop a commercially viable enhanced process for the exhaustive oxidation of air contaminants. The process involves ozonation. of a fluorocarbon fluid possessing extremely high solubility for ozone. The fluorocarbon is completely oxidation resistance and biologically inert and its high solubility for gases has allowed its use as a artificial blood substitute in thousands of surgical operations. The fluorocarbon has demonstrated the preferential ability to extract a variety of both gaseous and liquid hydrocarbon and chlorocarbon contaminants from air streams. It has a low viscosity and an even lower volatility while being a superior solvent for gaseous contaminants relative to all hydrocarbon solvents. The fluid is an excellent medium for oxidation reactions and poses no contamination risk itself. For such reasons it has been previously used with dispersions of TiO2 particles for the ultraviolet (UV) catalyzed photooxidation of air contaminants. Exhaustive oxidation was achieved in our phase I effort due to the air contaminants collecting at the solid/liquid interface of the TiO2 particles and their intermediate oxidation products being unable to escape. The intermediate oxidation products themselves physically adsorbed at the solid/liquid interface until completely oxidized to C02. The proposed prototype has significant potential to increased oxidation of air contaminants by an order of magnitude. The target markets for the proposed process are hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, office buildings, shopping malls and restaurants mention a few. Essentially the market is the treatment of indoor air of any structure occupied by humans.