OXIDATIVE-DEGRADATION OF 2,4.6-TRINITROTOLUENE BY OZONE IN AN ELECTROHYDRAULIC DISCHARGE REACTOR

The electrohydraulic discharge process in the presence of ozone has be en used to investigate the rapid degradation and mineralization of aqu eous 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) solutions that were directly exposed to high-energy electrical discharges between two submerged electrodes. The 165 mu M solutions of TNT we re competely ( > 90%) mineralized ov er the course of 300 electrical discharges of 7 kJ each. The kinetics of TNT degradation were investigated as a function of the aqueous-phas e ozone concentration, pH, discharge energy, and electrode gap length. The rate of TNT degradation increases with an increase in aqueous-pha se ozone concentration of up to 150 mu M, an increase in pH from 3.0 t o 7.9, an increase in discharge energy from 5.5 to 9 kJ, and a decreas e in the electrode gap length from 10 to 6 mm. The rapid rates of mine ralization (e.g. 12 ms) are attributed to the action of UV light in th e reactor chamber on O-3 to produce a high flux of hydroxyl radicals p er discharge (1 mu M discharge(-1)). The primary reaction intermediate s were 2,4,6-trinitrobenzaldehyde and trinitrobenzene.