POTENTIAL MECHANISTIC ROUTES FOR THE OXIDATIVE DISINTEGRATION OF KETONES ON CARBON ADSORBENTS

Solvent recovery and air emission control are among the many industrial uses of activated carbon. The efficient use of activated carbon technology for these applications requires some understanding of carbon-solvent interactions and associated system behavior, especially in an oxidizing atmosphere. The oxidative activity characteristics of a number of organic solvents adsorbed on activated carbon were determined using temperature programmed oxidation (TPO) and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) techniques. Thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermal gravimetry (DTG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were employed to provide some insights on the thermal behavior of the carbon-solvent systems in oxidative and inert atmospheres. The thermal desorption patterns and oxidation stabilities of selected ketones were monitored, and the formation of products due to incomplete combustion was established. Based on the observed results, plausible mechanisms associated with the decomposition of these oxidizable organic solvents on activated carbon are discussed to delineate the types of reactions that initiate carbon bed combustion and/or carbon degradation.