Efficient natural organic matter removal using ammonia activated carbon fibers

ENVR 280

Gordon N. Nangmenyi, gnangme2@uiuc.edu1, Zhongren Yue, zyue@utsi.edu2, and James Economy, jeconomy@uiuc.edu1. (1) Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1304 W Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801, (2) Materials Science & Engineering, University of Tennessee Space Institute, 411 B. H. Goethert Parkway, Tullahoma, TN 37388
It is well established that the presence of natural organic matter (NOM) and humic acid not only support bacterial growth in water distribution systems, but also form solution phase complexes with disinfection by-products yielding carcinogenic chlorine compounds, triahalomethane (THM) and chloroform. The NOM removal efficiency of ammonia activated carbon fibers (ACFs) were characterized by determining the organic concentration in water using ultraviolet-visible light spectroscopy at 254 nm. The ammonia ACFs were prepared by coating a fiberglass mat in solution of dissolved polyacrylonitrile (PAN 7.7 wt%) and ZnCl2 (15 wt%) in dimethylformamide (DMF) followed by stabilization in air at 200C for 12 h and activation in NH3 at 600C for 0.75 h. Synthesis and characterization of the material including its removal efficiency at varying pH and NOM concentrations are presented. The study found the ammonia-ACFs to be superior to commercial ion exchange beads.
 

Advances in Drinking Water Disinfection and Disinfection Byproduct Management
6:00 PM-8:00 PM, Wednesday, April 9, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster

Division of Environmental Chemistry

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008