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Platinum-supported aluminum oxide on activated carbon filter media for removal of formaldehyde in the indoor condition

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Abstract

Formaldehyde is one of the hazardous indoor air pollutants which have harmful effects on humans, domestic animals, and environmental health. The goal of this study was to synthesize a Pt/Al2O3 coated on granular activated carbon (GAC), which is easily recoverable and can be used as an absorbent for formaldehyde removal from polluted indoor air. Moreover, the Pt/Al2O3 catalyst could achieve complete and stable HCHO oxidation at ambient temperature. The characteristic properties of the Pt/Al2O3/GAC sample were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectrometer, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller techniques. The Pt/Al2O3/GAC catalyst was investigated to determine the catalytic performance with regard to formaldehyde (HCHO) oxidation under different face velocity and initial formaldehyde concentration applicable to a building environment. It was revealed that the removal capacity of Pt/Al2O3 catalyst reached a maximum of 2.23 mg g−1 during 0.1 m s−1 face velocity and 0.75 ppm HCHO inlet concentration. Among zero-, first- and second-order reaction kinetic model, the correlation coefficient of the first-order reaction kinetic model (0.7948 < R2 < 0.9249) and second-order reaction kinetic model (0.6056 < R2 < 0.8146) is lower than zero-order reaction kinetic model (0.9352 < R2 < 0.9921) of Pt/Al2O3 catalyst. The oxidation kinetic of HCHO was well fitted with the zero-order reaction for Pt/Al2O3 catalyst. This study provides some instructions for the design and manufacture of environmentally harmless and cost-effective catalysts with excellent catalytic oxidation properties to remove HCHO at room temperature.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the supports from the Ministry of Science and Technology with contract number 107-3011-F-027-001, National Taipei University of Technology with contract number NTUT-USTB-108-07, and University of Science and Technology Beijing with contract number USTB-NTUT Joint Research Program No. TW2019004.

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Author notes

  1. C.-H. Tseng, S.-M. Chang, S.-C. Hu and Y.‑C. Chen have contributed equal to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Environment Engineering and Management, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Republic of China

    C.-H. Tseng & P.-H. Huang

  2. Department of Molecular Science and Technology, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei , Republic of China

    S.-M. Chang & Y.-C. Chen

  3. Department of Energy and Refrigerating Air-Conditioning Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, 1, Sec. 3, Chung Hsiao E Road, Taipei, 10608, Taiwan, Republic of China

    S.-C. Hu & A. Shiue

  4. School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, People’s Republic of China

    Z. Li

  5. LI-COR Biosciences, Cambridge, England

    G. Leggett

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  1. C.-H. Tseng
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  2. S.-M. Chang
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Correspondence to A. Shiue.

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Editorial responsibility: Fatih ŞEN.

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Tseng, CH., Chang, SM., Hu, SC. et al. Platinum-supported aluminum oxide on activated carbon filter media for removal of formaldehyde in the indoor condition. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 18, 3747–3760 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-021-03130-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-021-03130-7

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