Electrochemical reduction of nitro-aromatic compounds: product studies and mathematical modeling

Abstract : Nitro-aromatics: 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) and hexa-hydro-1,3,5-trinitro-triazine (RDX) are the major constituents of wastewaters discharged from propellant and explosive manufacturing units and munitions load, assembly, and pack Operations. More than 1,200 current and former U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Energy facilities have problems with explosive contamination. The objective of this project was to study the electrochemical degradation of nitro-aromatic compounds under various conditions to enable the formulation of a mathematical model and to design a plug flow reactor for the same. The transformation of DNT and TNT to their corresponding reduced by-products has been shown to occur through purely abiotic mechanisms induced by electric current.