The New Jersey Institute of Technology's
Electronic Theses & Dissertations Project

Title:	Aqueous absorption of NOx induced by sodium chlorite oxidation
Author:	Yang, Chen-Lu
View Online:	njit-etd1990-007 ([v], 82 pages ~ 2.9 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Environmental Science
Degree:	Master of Science
Program:	Environmental Science
Document Type:	Thesis
Advisory Committee:	Shaw, Henry (Committee chair) Bozzelli, Joseph W. (Committee member) Trattner, Richard B. (Committee member)
Date:	1990-01
Keywords:	Nitrogen Oxides--Absorption and Adsorption Nitrogen Oxides--Oxidation Air--Purification
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	Aqueous scrubbing in alkaline media for the removal of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from flue gases using NaClO2 as an oxidant is being investigated in the Chemical Engineering Department of New Jersey Institute of Technology. This thesis presents the findings of an experimental program that was conducted to estimate the capability of NaClO2 aqueous solution to oxidize insoluble NO to soluble NO2 in order to increase its solubility and thus prevent NOx emission from entering the atmosphere from flue gases emitted by municipal incinerators or power plants. The key findings of this program are: * NO is not absorbed by NaOH aqueous scrubbing solutions. * NO2 is essentially quantitatively absorbed in NaOH aqueous scrubbing solutions. * Addition of NO2 improves No absorption in NaOH solution. * NaClO2 containing aqueous scrubbing medium quantitatively oxidizes NO to nitrate. * Concentrations greater than 0.1M NaOH inhibit No absorption in 0.008M NaClO2 containing aqueous scrubbing media. * Aqueous scrubbing media containing less than 0.1M NaOH quantitatively absorb NO induced by NaClO2 oxidation. * The presence of 5% Oxygen in flue gases reduces by 11.5% NO absorption induced by NaClO2 oxidation. * Mass transfer rather than chemical reaction kinetics seems to dominate the NO absorption process.