Contaminated ground water treatment is most economically accomplished by air stripping followed by complete catalytic combustion. For hydrocarbon sources from underground gasoline storage, the catalytic combustors are now being deactivated by contaminants such as lead. Poison tolerant catalyst designs are needed to prevent inactivation of the converter. The proposed research focuses on the development of a poison tolerant system to handle leaded gasoline contaminated ground water. The program exploits the use of a special guard bed combined with design and control strategies to reduce the impact of deactivation. Mathematical modeling of the process together with measurements taken during the deactivation process of a commercial catalyst will lead to a guard bed feasibility demonstration. Successful completion of this research project could have a significant impact on the technology used to eliminate contaminants from ground water and industrial waste streams. Catalytic conversion of the unwanted hydrocarbons could become the preferred technique for ground water cleanup if catalyst poisoning is controlled.
