Date of Award

2011

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Chemical Engineering

First Advisor

Luster-Teasley, Stephanie Dr.

Abstract

Liquid and gaseous oxidants for years have demonstrated the ability to reduce or destroy organic compounds that can be harmful. Using the fundamental concepts of chemical oxidation, this research investigates the ability to develop solid structured controlled release systems that are able to deliver chemical oxidants and reduce chemicals for environmental remediation. Controlled release systems have become widely used for various applications such as in medical and agricultural industries. Applying this knowledge, micro to nano-sizes of potassium permanganate (KMnO4) and zero-valent iron (ZVI) were encapsulated in two biodegradable polymers. The biodegradable polymers used were polycaprolactone (PCL) and polylactic acid (PLA). Encapsulation of oxidants within biodegradable polymers offers a novel application for environmental remediation. The objective of this study was to study the degradation of trichloroethylene (TCE) using nano-particle zero-valent iron (nZVI) and potassium permanganate. The focus was to understand the chemical processes involved with groundwater remediation using these chemicals and develop a method to improve the controlled release remediation process by adapting the method used to encapsulate the oxidants. Both melt dispersion and a solvent based methods were investigated for chemical encapsulation. xviii The results show that the micro and nano-size particles released at different rates from the structures; however, the rate at which the oxidant or reducing agent released from the polymer ultimately determined the effectiveness in the remediation of trichloroethylene (TCE) in water.

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