Directly Gassed Reactors

Water or waste water ozonation - regardless of the scale of equipment - is mostly performed in directly gassed systems, where the ozone containing gas is produced by an electrical discharge ozone generator and is introduced into the reactor by some type of gas diffuser. Since two phases, the gas and the liquid, are required for the oxidation reaction to proceed as it does, they are also called heterogeneous systems. 

The transfer hydrogenation methods described above are sufficient to carry out laboratory-scale studies, but it is unlikely that a direct scale-up of these processes would result in identical yields and selectivities. This is because the reaction mixtures are biphasic liquid, gas. The gas which is distilled off is acetone from the IPA system, and carbon dioxide from the TEAF system. The rate of gas disengagement is related to the superficial surface area. As the process is scaled-up, or the height of the liquid increases, the ratio of surface area to volume decreases. In order to improve de-gassing, parameters such as stirring rates, reactor design and temperature are important, and these will be discussed along with other factors found important in process scale-up. 

---