Catalytic Destruction of Halogenated Volatile Organic Compounds

Halogenated volatile organic compounds are associated with a broad range of industrial processes, but when discharged into the atmosphere they constitute a major source of air pollution. Recognition of the potentially damaging effects that these emissions can have on the environment is leading to increasing demands for their control. Catalytic combustion appears to offer advantages over thermal destruction, resulting from lower incineration temperatures and higher destructive efficiencies. While platinum metals catalyst systems are known to be the most effective for the catalytic destruction of non-halogenated volatile organic compounds, only a relatively small amount of data has been published on their performance for destroying halogenated volatile organic compounds; this paper reports on an investigation of catalysts developed for this purpose.