Chemistry of the electron beam process and its application to emission control

The irradiation of air-like gas mixtures with energetic electrons (300 - 800, keV) generates excited state species, ions and radicals. Only the radicals remain available for reactions with the trace components. Like in atmospheric chemistry, the most reactive radical is OH, hence the pollutants are degraded by oxidation preferentially. industrial applications of the electron beam process are the removal of NOx and SO2 from power plant flue gas and the removal of hydrocarbons from cold off-gas. Further, the process can be used to degrade chlorinated hydrocarbons from contaminated groundwater and to remove VOC and NOx from automobile tunnel off-gas.