Can ozone mass transfer in water treatment be enhanced through independent pressurized ozonation?

Abstract

The dissolved ozone equilibrium concentration is hard to improve by increasing the gas phase partial pressure due to the low initial pressure and difficulty in pressurization. In this study, a novel hydraulic pressurization technology was developed to reliably elevate the ozonation pressure and improve the solubility of ozone. It was located downstream of the ozone generator to avoid generator overpressure. Specifically, at the optimal pressure of 0.30 MPa with an initial ozone flow rate of 1–6 L min−1, the specific surface area of bubbles and turbulent dissipation rate in the ozonation reactor were up to 2.5- and 1.5-fold that of the atmospheric aeration. Meanwhile, the dissolved ozone equilibrium concentration, redox potential, and volumetric mass transfer coefficient were up to 2.4-, 1.6-, and 2.7-fold that of atmospheric aeration, respectively. The increase in bubble-specific surface area and turbulent dissipation rate, synergistically enhanced the mass transfer, contributing 83.2–94.4 % and 5.6–16.8 %, respectively. As the reactor pressure was increased from 0 to 0.30 MPa, the decolorization time of Acid Red 18 was shortened from 20 to 8 min, and the COD removal rate increased from 48.0 % to 85.0 %. This work provides an alternative approach coupled with a novel device that enhances the ozone mass transfer during water treatment.