Utilization of Fly-Ash Products from Biomass Co-Combustion and Zeolite 13X for Building Energy Conservations

Abstract

Catalytic ozonation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using biomass combustion derived fly-ash products and zeolite 13X was investigated for applications in an integrated air purification and desiccant cooling system. Fly-ash products from rice husk- coal co-combustion at different biomass blending ratios were used. The material characteristics such as metal content and surface area were compared and correlated with the catalytic activities. It was found that the surface area and the metal constitutes have made the catalytic activities over the fly-ash products from biomass combustion superior to that from coal-only combustion. The elevated reaction temperatures from 25 o C to 75 o C also have significant effects to the catalytic activities. On the other hand, the potential synergy to Zeolite 13X was explored. The combined catalytic ozonation and adsorption not only enhance VOCs removal, but also minimize intermediate species emission. Furthermore, the hydrophilic properties of Zeolite 13X can be utilized to handle the latent load of the conventional air conditioning system for energy conservations.