KR19990007944A - Enhanced Adsorption and Room Temperature Catalytic Particles and Methods and Their Uses - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention comprises the steps of: (a) removing an effective amount of air in a closed chamber containing adsorbed particles and / or catalytic particles such that the chamber pressure is below 1 atmosphere; (b) raising the chamber pressure to at least 1 atmosphere using an inert gas; (c) contacting the particles with a beam of energy sufficient energy for a sufficient time to enhance the adsorptive and / or catalytic properties of the particles and / or to produce catalytic properties in the particles. It relates to a method of making the particles and / or a method of making the catalytic particles. Only the continuous process to step (c) is also provided. The present invention also relates to room temperature catalysts, particle binders, apparatus of the present invention, and methods for increasing the surface area of adsorbed particles and / or catalytic particles, including adsorbed particles and / or catalytic particles, contaminant reduction or removal methods.

Description

Enhanced Adsorption and Room Temperature Catalytic Particles and Methods and Their Uses

Metals and certain nonmetal oxides are known to be useful for removing components from gas or liquid streams by adsorbent mechanisms. For example, the use of activated alumina is considered an economical method for water treatment to remove various contaminants, gas streams and some liquids. Their high porosity structure allows them to have desirable adsorption capacity for moisture and contaminants contained in gas streams and some liquids. It is useful as a desiccant for gases and vapors in the petroleum industry and also as a catalyst or catalyst carrier for air and water purification. Removal of contaminants such as phosphates by activated alumina is known in the art. For example, selective removal of phosphate mixed by activated alumina of Lee, W., J. Amer. Waterworks Assoc., Vol. 58, pp. See 239-247 (1966).

U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,879 to Abe et al. Discloses that activated carbon materials which have been carbonated and dehydrated and further acid treated and heat treated in an atmosphere of inert gas or reducing gas have high catalytic activity, hydrogen peroxide, hydrazine or organic acid, It is described as being suitable as a catalyst for the decomposition of quaternary ammonium salts, and other water contaminants such as sulfur-comprising compounds. Acids are used to remove impurities but do not enhance the adsorption properties.

Ion implantation is used in integrated circuit configurations. Herndon et al. US Pat. No. 4,843,034 describes an interlayer conductive passage in an integrated circuit by implanting ions into a selected range of common insulating layers to alter the composition and / or structure of the insulation in selected areas. Methods and systems for constructing are described. It describes that a wide variety of insulating materials can be selectively conductive, including inorganic or insulators such as metal or semiconductor oxides, nitrides or carbides. Insulators that can be made according to this patent include silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, aluminum oxide and the like. This revealed that the implanted ions may include ions of silicon, germanium, carbon, boron, arsenic, phosphorus, titanium, molybdenum, aluminum and gold. Typically, the implantation energy varies from about 10 to 500 KeV. It has been found that the ion implantation step changes the composition and structure of the insulating layer and has a substitution effect of oxygen, nitrogen or carbon to promote the transfer of metals and alloys from the conductive layer to the implanted area during the firing step. In addition, implantation is believed to have a physical effect that disrupts the crystalline lattice that promotes the melting of the metal. This allows the hybrid material to be obtained in the implantation region consisting essentially of the dissociable insulator and implanted ions. In an actual embodiment, the ions of silicon are implanted into a particular region of silicon dioxide using a direct implant machine.

US Pat. No. 5,218,179 to Matossian et al. Describes a plasma source arrangement for providing implantation of ions into an object. Large objects into which ions are implanted are wrapped in containers. The plasma is produced in a separate chamber and is led to a volume of container where the plasma source ion implantation takes place. Plasma is removed from the chamber into a container surrounding the object having a substantially improved density compared to conventional ones. High voltage negative plus is provided to the subject, causing ions to be accelerated from the plasma and injected into the subject.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for adsorbents having an improved ability to adsorb contaminants from gas or liquid streams to purify certain materials, especially streams. There is also a need in the art for a catalyst having the ability or enhanced ability to catalyze the reaction that turns contaminants into non-pollutant by-products.

In addition, it is necessary in the art to appropriately aggregate the adsorbent particles together to form hybrid particles for simultaneous application and purification in multiples. In the prior art, the particles are ground and extruded together to keep them in agglomerated or hybridized state. This has the disadvantage that an expensive extrusion step, certain equipment and processing time is required to extrude the particles together.

All of the above cited documents do not describe the compounds, compositions or processes described and claimed in detail herein.

Summary of the Invention

According to the object of the present invention, as embodied and described in detail herein, the present invention

(a) removing the effective amount of air in a closed chamber containing adsorbent and / or catalytic particles to bring the pressure of the chamber to less than 1 atmosphere;

(b) raising the pressure of the chamber to at least one atmosphere with an inert gas;

(c) contacting the particles with an energy beam having sufficient energy for a sufficient time to increase the adsorption and / or catalytic properties of the particles or to produce the catalytic properties of the particles. It is to provide catalytic particles, and / or a method for producing catalytic particles.

Particles obtained from this process can have room temperature catalytic performance for certain contaminants.

The present invention also provides enhanced adsorptive and / or enhanced catalytic particles, and / or methods of making catalytic particles, comprising injecting oxygen into the adsorptive and / or catalytic particles.

In another aspect, the present invention is directed to providing particles made with the process of the present invention.

In another aspect, the present invention provides enhanced adsorption and / or enhanced catalytic particles, and / or catalyzed treatment to provide at least excess oxygen on the surface of the particles to form enhanced catalytic and particles. And / or enhanced adsorptive and / or enhanced catalytic particles, and / or catalytic particles, wherein the enhanced catalytic particles, and / or the catalytic particles are formed.

In another aspect, the present invention is to provide a binder for combining adsorbent and / or catalytic particles to produce agglomerated masses of colloidal aluminum oxide and acid.

In another aspect, the invention

(a) combining the colloidal aluminum oxide with the particles and the acid;

(b) stirring the blend homogeneously, and

(c) to provide a method for bonding adsorbent and / or catalytic particles comprising heating the blend for a sufficient time to crosslink aluminum oxide in the blend.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of contacting a particle of the present invention with a contaminant in a stream for a sufficient time to reduce or remove the amount of contaminant from a liquid or gas stream to reduce or remove the amount of contaminant from the stream. It is to provide a method.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for adsorbing contaminants in an adsorbent particle from a liquid or gas stream consisting of adsorbing contaminants in the stream with the contaminant in the stream for a sufficient time. will be.

In another aspect, to provide a method for promoting the decomposition of a hydrocarbon consisting of promoting the decomposition of the hydrocarbon by contacting the hydrocarbon with the particles of the present invention for a sufficient time.

In another embodiment, a catalyst comprising contacting a particle stream of the present invention with a gas stream containing a contaminant consisting of nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, or mixtures thereof for a sufficient time to reduce or remove the amount of contaminants. To provide a method for reducing or removing the amount of contaminants from a gas stream by a reaction.

In another aspect, the present invention,

(a) chamber means capable of containing particles in a closed system having an inert port, an exhaust port and a target plate and maintaining vacuum pressure and tack;

(b) means for providing an inert gas to said chamber means through an inert gas port;

(c) means for drawing an effective amount of air out of said chamber means to vacuum the interior of said chamber; And

(d) means for providing an energy beam to said chamber means, wherein said energy beam means outlet is for producing enhanced adsorptive and / or enhanced catalytic particles targeted to a target plate, and / or catalytic particles. It is for providing a device.

In another aspect, the present invention,

(a) raising the chamber gauge pressure of the closed chamber containing the adsorptive and / or catalytic particles to at least 100 psi with an inert gas; And

(b) providing a method for increasing the surface area of the adsorptive and / or catalytic particles, the step of rapidly reducing the chamber pressure to increase the surface area of the particles.

In another aspect, the present invention,

(a) enhanced adsorptive, comprising contacting the adsorbent and / or catalytic particles with an energy beam having sufficient energy for a sufficient time to produce an adsorbent and / or enhancement of the catalyst properties of the particles and / or to produce catalytic properties of the particles. And / or enhanced catalytic particles, and / or methods of making catalytic particles.

Additional advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or will be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of the invention can be seen and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description have been described by way of example and not as limitations of the invention as claimed.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various embodiments and descriptions of the invention and are provided to explain the principles of the invention.

The present invention relates generally to adsorbent particles having catalytic properties, including improved adsorption properties and / or improved or newly existing room temperature catalyst performance.

1 shows an apparatus of an embodiment of the invention for producing enhanced adsorptive and / or enhanced catalytic particles and / or for producing catalytic particles.

2 is a graph showing the reduction of NO using the particles of the present invention.

2 is a graph showing the reduction of CO using the particles of the present invention.

The invention can be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description and drawings of the preferred embodiments of the invention and the embodiments contained therein and the above / described descriptions thereof.

Before describing and describing the compositions and methods of the present materials, it is to be understood that the present invention may, of course, vary but is not limited to specific synthetic methods or special formulas. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.

As used in this specification and the appended claims, it should be mentioned that the singular forms a, an and the include the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the following specification and claims, reference will be made to a number of terms that are defined to have the following meanings:

Optional or optional means that the event or situation described next may or may not occur, and this description includes cases where and when such an event or situation occurs and does not occur. .

As used herein, the term particles is used interchangeably in the sense of a particle or a combination of small particles gathered with large particles such as agglomeration of particles.

ppm stands for parts per million and ppb stands for parts per billion. GPM is in gallons per minute.

In accordance with the object of the present invention, as embodied and described in detail herein, the present invention,

(a) removing the effective amount of air in a closed chamber containing adsorbent and / or catalytic particles to bring the pressure of the chamber to less than 1 atmosphere;

(b) raising the pressure of the chamber to at least one atmosphere with an inert gas;

(c) contacting the particles with an energy beam having sufficient energy for a sufficient time to increase the adsorption and / or catalytic properties of the particles or to produce the catalytic properties of the particles. It is to provide catalytic particles, and / or a method for producing catalytic particles.

Particles obtained from this process can have room temperature catalytic performance for certain contaminants.

The present invention also provides a method for producing enhanced adsorbent and / or enhanced catalytic particles and / or a method for producing catalytic particles, which comprises injecting oxygen into adsorbent and / or catalytic particles.

In another aspect, the invention relates to particles made with the process of the invention.

In another aspect, the present invention provides enhanced adsorption and / or consisting of the formation of enhanced adsorptive and / or enhanced catalytic particles, and / or catalytic particles, wherein the adsorptivity is treated to provide excess oxygen at least on the surface of the particles. Or to provide enhanced catalytic particles and / or catalytic particles.

In another aspect, the present invention is to provide a binder for combining adsorbent and / or catalytic particles to produce agglomerated masses of colloidal aluminum oxide and acid.

In another aspect, the invention

(a) combining the colloidal aluminum oxide with the particles and the acid;

(b) stirring the blend homogeneously, and

(c) to provide a method for bonding adsorbent and / or catalytic particles consisting of heating the formulation for a sufficient time to crosslink aluminum oxide in the formulation.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of contacting a particle of the present invention with a contaminant in a stream for a sufficient time to reduce or remove the amount of contaminant from a liquid or gas stream to reduce or remove the amount of contaminant from the stream. It is to provide a method.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for adsorbing contaminants in adsorbent particles from a liquid or gas stream consisting of adsorbing contaminants in the stream with contaminants in the stream for a sufficient time. will be.

In another aspect, to provide a method for promoting the decomposition of a hydrocarbon consisting of promoting the decomposition of the hydrocarbon by contacting the hydrocarbon and the particles of the present invention for a sufficient time.

In another aspect, a catalyst comprising contacting a particle of the present invention with a gas stream containing a contaminant consisting of nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, or mixtures thereof for a sufficient time to reduce or remove the amount of contaminants. To provide a method for reducing or removing the amount of contaminants from a gas stream by a reaction.

In another aspect, the present invention,

(a) chamber means capable of containing particles in a closed system having an inert port, an exhaust port and a target plate and maintaining vacuum pressure and tack;

(b) means for providing an inert gas to said chamber means through an inert gas port;

(c) means for drawing an effective amount of air out of said chamber means to vacuum the interior of said chamber; And

(d) means for providing an energy beam to said chamber means, wherein said energy beam means outlet is for producing enhanced adsorptive and / or enhanced catalytic particles targeted to a target plate, and / or catalytic particles. It is for providing a device.

In another aspect, the present invention,

(a) raising the chamber gauge pressure of the closed chamber containing the adsorptive and / or catalytic particles to at least 100 psi with an inert gas; And

(b) providing a method for increasing the surface area of the adsorptive and / or catalytic particles, the step of rapidly reducing the chamber pressure to increase the surface area of the particles.

In another aspect, the present invention,

(a) enhanced adsorptive, comprising contacting the adsorbent and / or catalytic particles with an energy beam having sufficient energy for a sufficient time to produce an adsorbent and / or enhancement of the catalyst properties of the particles and / or to produce catalytic properties of the particles. And / or enhanced catalytic particles, and / or methods of making catalytic particles.

With enhanced adsorptive and / or enhanced catalytic particles, the particles of the present invention have improved adsorptive and / or improved catalytic properties over the known art of adsorbent and / or catalytic particles. In addition, by preparing catalytic particles, certain particles of the present invention have catalytic properties to catalyze the conversion of particular contaminants into other forms. In contrast, the same particles not treated by the process of the present invention do not have catalytic properties for at least such special contaminants.

Enhanced adsorption properties will include ion capture mechanisms and ion exchange mechanisms. Ion trapping is related to the ability of a particle to bind to other atoms because of its ionic nature. Ion exchange is well known in the art and relates to the exchange of ions from one substituent to another. Adsorption is a well known term in the art and must be distinguished from absorption.

In the particles of the present invention, any particle that typically has some adsorptive and / or catalytic properties from the outset can be used. For example, activated carbon and oxide particles may be implanted with oxygen by the process of the present invention.

For oxide particles, metal or nonmetal oxides such as silicon or germanium are preferred. More preferred are transition metal oxides, metal oxides of Group III (B, Al, Ga, In, Tl) and Period IA (Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr) and silicon oxides. Aluminum oxide (Al ₂ O ₃ ), silicon dioxide (SiO ₂ ), manganese dioxide (MnO ₂ ), copper oxide (CuO), triiron tetraoxide (Fe ₃ O ₄ ), triiron dioxide (Fe ₂ O ₃ ), zinc oxide (ZnO ), Zirconium oxide (ZrO ₂ ), vanadium pentoxide (V ₂ O ₅ ), and titanium dioxide (TiO ₂ ) are most preferred.

In one embodiment, the particles form aluminum oxide pretreated by sufficient calcination. Calcined aluminum oxide particles are well known in the art. The particles are heated to a special temperature to form a special crystalline structure. Procedures for making calcined aluminum oxide are described in Physical and Chemical Aspects of Adsorbents and Catalysts , ed. It is well known in the art as described in Linsen et al., Academic Press (1970), and this procedure is further specified herein by reference. In one embodiment, a Bayer process can be used to make the aluminum oxide precursor. In addition, aluminum oxide pre-pixeled, that is, aluminum oxide precursor (Al (OH) ₃ ) and pixelated aluminum oxide, is easy to use commercially. Pixelated aluminum oxide can be used in dried, activated form, or in partially or almost totally inactivated form by allowing water to adsorb to the surface of the particles. However, in order to maximize the adsorption capacity, it is desirable to minimize the deactivation.

In a preferred embodiment, aluminum oxide can be prepared by firing at a quality point of 400 to 700 ° C. These preferred aluminum oxide particles are preferably in the form of gamma, chi-rho, or eta, with a diameter of 3.5-35 nm and a BET area of 120-350 m 2 / g.

In activated carbon, any activated carbon useful for the adsorption technique can be used. Preferably coal-based carbon or coconut-based carbon is used. In general, coal-based carbon may be used to improve water-soluble contaminants, and coconut-based carbon may be used to improve airborne or gaseous contaminants. Preferably, the size of activated carbon is 20 μm or less to facilitate mixing and extrusion.

The particles of the invention can be used alone or in combination with particles of the same or different type of composition prepared by the process of the invention, and / or in combination with other adsorbent or catalytic particles known in the art. . The particles can be physically mixed or aggregated and bound using methods known in the art or methods described herein. In a preferred embodiment, particles of different forms of the composition aggregate and bind to form multifunctional composite particles. In this embodiment, the particles can be used to achieve multifunction by simultaneously removing various contaminants, taking advantage of individual effects from each type of particle, and the like. Co-particles preferably used in the present invention include all the particles and zeolites described above.

In one embodiment, the composite particle consists of particles of aluminum oxide and second particles of titanium oxide, copper oxide, vanadium pentoxide, silicon dioxide, manganese dioxide, iron oxide, zinc oxide, activated carbon, or zeolite. In another embodiment, the composite particle consists of aluminum oxide and activated carbon. In another embodiment, the particles consist of activated carbon (coal based), activated carbon (coconut based), silicon dioxide, and aluminum oxide. In a preferred embodiment, the particles are used to improve water soluble contaminants. In one embodiment, particles of coal-based activated carbon, coconut-based activated carbon, silicon dioxide, and aluminum oxide are water-soluble contaminants such as 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP), radon, and heavy metals from contaminated water sources. It is used to improve.

The particles of the present invention may be subjected to other surface treatments before or after being treated by the method of the present invention. The particles of the present invention may be pretreated by methods known in the art to enhance their adsorption capacity by firing or the like. Upon firing, the solid is heated to a temperature below the melting point to change the crystal structure to a specific shape. The calcined particles may be dried or maintained in a dry form that produces activated particles, or when water is absorbed by the particles, the particles may be partially or almost completely inert. In one embodiment, the particles of the invention may be in the form of dry, slurry or gel. The particle size may vary depending on the end use within the size ranges known in the art, such as colloidal size, microscopic size, or macroscopic size. Preferably, the particle size before flocculation is 20 μm or less to facilitate mixing and extrusion.

Binders for bonding individual particles to form aggregated particles are known in the art or described herein. In a preferred embodiment, the binder may act as adsorbent and / or catalyst. Preferred binders for the agglomerated particles are colloidal alumina or colloidal silica. At about 450 ° C., the alumina on the colloid crosslinks itself through a modification step. The colloidal silica crosslinks itself if it is dry enough to remove water. Preferably, from about 20% to about 99% by weight of the total mixture is colloidal alumina or colloidal silica to provide the necessary crosslinking during heating to bind the aggregated particles to the water resistant particles. The particles can then tolerate exposure to all forms of water for extended periods of time and not degrade their function.

In one embodiment, the flocculated particles are prepared by mixing colloidal alumina with adsorbent particles. Typically, about 20% to about 99% by weight of the mixture is colloidal alumina. The particle mixture is then mixed with an acid solution such as, for example, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, boric acid, acetic acid, formic acid, phosphoric acid, and mixtures thereof. In one embodiment, the acid is a 5% nitric acid solution. The colloidal alumina, the adsorbent particles, and the acid solution are thoroughly mixed to form a homogeneous mixture of all the elements. Subsequently, additional acid solution is added and further mixed until the mixture is moderately tightly aggregated. After the agglomeration is completed, the agglomerated particles are heated to 450 ° C. or higher to cause crosslinking of the colloidal alumina.

Sources and / or methods for preparing starting materials for the various adsorbent particles of the present invention are readily available and are known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

Reference is made to FIG. 1 for a description of the method used to prepare the particles of one embodiment of the present invention. The device of this embodiment is generally designated 10. The particulate material or target medium 20 to be treated is placed on the target plate 22 in the chamber 11 without being crushed. In one embodiment, the target plate can be rotated to more fully process the particles by the energy beam. The chamber 11 is preferably made of a dielectric. The chamber 11 is closed by a compression plate latch door 12 that can withstand high compression ratios at both positive and negative pressures. The pressure is measured with a pressure gauge 18. In order to empty the effective amount of air initially contained in the chamber, a vacuum is created in the chamber using the vacuum pump 19. Air can be detrimental to the oxygen injection step in that it reduces the efficiency of the energy beam affecting the particles. Emptying an effective amount of air is such that sufficient air is removed to mean that the energy beam has the ability to enhance the adsorption and / or catalyst properties of the particles and / or to produce catalyst properties. Typically, the vacuum pump 19 is used to evacuate as much air as possible from the chamber 11 in order to maximize the efficiency of the energy beam and allow a low energy beam to be used. The chamber is brought to a pressure above atmospheric pressure using an inert gas from the cylinder 13 via a high pressure injector 17. In one embodiment, the standard pressure (pressure above atmospheric) is 1 to 5,000 psi. Typically, the standard pressure may be at least about 20 psi to prevent arcing.

Typically, the inert gas is both a gas whose chemical reaction is inert and degrades the performance of the adsorbed particles, but does not interfere with the effect of the energy beam upon oxygen injection. Common inert gases include noble gases such as helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon.

The energy source is intended for particles contained in the chamber via an energy injector 15 located at the end of the energy source. The energy source can be both high energy that can push oxygen into the particles and / or add excess charge to the particles. Typically, the energy source is an ion machine focused on an ion or electron beam, such as a broad beam ion source or a wide beam photoionizer. In certain embodiments, the energy source may be a broad beam ion source having a maximum output of 25 eV, manufactured by Commonwealth, Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.A. The energy source 14 utilizes a power source 21. In a particular implementation, the power supply can be a Commonwealth IBS-250 high voltage power supply with remote operating output up to 1500V. The energy beam also allows the inert gas to be ionized. The charge introduced into the chamber is sufficient to enhance the adsorption and / or catalyst properties of the particles and to produce catalyst properties in the particles. Although an electron beam of which energy amount is smaller or larger than 15 to 20 eV may be used, in one embodiment, an electron beam of 15 to 20 eV was used. Once the proper charge is obtained for a sufficient time, the energy source is cut off. This sufficient time can be very short, from less than 1 second to about 10 seconds, although longer times are not harmful. The chamber pressure is then lowered through the release valve 16.

While not wishing to be bound by theory, it is theorized that the energy beam pushes monoatomic oxygen present on the surface of the particle down to the surface of the particle, thereby tightly binding this oxygen to the particle's internal structure. In crystalline particles, oxygen is tightly bound in the crystal lattice. Monoatomic oxygen originates from oxygen at the outermost surface of the crystal lattice of the particles or air at the surface of the remaining water or particles. This increases the adsorption and / or catalyst properties of the particles and can produce catalyst properties, including room temperature catalytic capacity in the particles. It is also theorized that the advantageous properties of the particles of the invention arise from increased electrical charge in the particles or energy beams to which they are added.

In another embodiment, in the energy beam treatment, after air is removed from the chamber, an inert gas is added to bring the chamber pressure to a high pressure. Typically, the standard pressure may be at least about 100 psi, more preferably at least about 1,000 psi, even more preferably at least about 5,000 psi. If chamber 15 is sufficiently high pressure higher pressures may be used. High pressure or compression is maintained for a sufficient time to increase the density of the particles. Residual air is leaked out of the container, whereby all residual air is removed from the inflated particles until a constant pressure can be maintained. Typically, a high pressure of about 10 minutes is sufficient. After the energy source has been introduced into the chamber for a sufficient time as described above, the energy source is shut off and the chamber pressure is then rapidly lowered through the release valve 16. Rapidly means preferably about 3 seconds. This increases the surface area of the particles.

While not wishing to be bound by theory, it is theorized that as the pressure in the chamber decreases rapidly, the capacity of the chamber expands simultaneously but the expansion rate is different. Charged inert gas has a much faster expansion rate than that of particulate matter due to the density difference between the two materials. Because of this difference in expansion rate, the charged inert gas moves rapidly within the particle and penetrates or explodes into the particle. This rapid penetration changes the pore structure of the particles and increases the amount of pores. The surface area of the particles thereby greatly increases, and the overall adsorption capacity of the particles increases. Depending on the particles used, the BET surface area is at least 1%, more preferably at least 5%, even more preferably at least 10%, even more preferably at least 20%, even more preferably. It can be increased by more than 30%. Lower density particles, such as activated carbon, may have an increased surface area.

Chamber pressures and energy levels can vary to produce different effects to address specific physical and chemical requirements for a particular end use of the particles. Changing pressure and energy level factors can change the particle's ability to adsorb specific contaminants.

In another embodiment of the invention, the surface area reinforcement of the method may be carried out alone without an energy beam. In this embodiment, the inert gas only needs to be inert to the particles and need not be inert to the effect of the energy beam. Thus, gases such as air and CO ₂ may also be used in the above embodiments.

In another embodiment, the energy beam aspect can be executed alone without the surface area enhancing aspect. In this embodiment, the energy beam is targeted directly at the particle to insert oxygen in the particle. This can be done in the batch process described above or in a semi-batch or continuous process. In the semi-batch process, the particles are automatically moved into the chamber where they are processed and are automatically removed from the chamber. In a continuous process of one embodiment, the particles are provided on a conveyor belt system. The air is displaced from the area around the particles with an inert gas to provide a viable path for the energy beam and fixed along the side or just above the conveyor belt system. The energy beam changes continuously or crosswise as the particles reach a certain point along the conveyor belt system. In variations of embodiments of the present invention, air removal and replacement by inert gas stages in batch or semi-batch processes and air substitution by inert gas stages in continuous processes can be avoided using very high levels of energy source, Thus, air does not inhibit oxygen from penetrating the surface of the particles. In another embodiment of the continuous process, the particles were filtered through a mesh screen sieve and substantially ionized to give oxygen to the particles to permeate the particles.

The particles of the invention are characterized by having an increased level of oxygen at least on the surface of the particles. The increased level of this oxygen is higher than the total of the stoichiometric amount of oxygen expected in the particle, and the oxygen-inserted particles are in percentage ratios for non-oxygen atoms at their surface compared to the initial non-oxygenated particles. At least 1.1 times the oxygen atom percentage, where the surface properties were measured with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS or ESCA) spectrometer, a device well known to those skilled in the art. More preferably the particles have at least 1.5 times the oxygen ratio, more preferably the particles have at least 2 times the oxygen ratio, more preferably at least 4 times the oxygen ratio, more preferably oxygen At least six-fold increase in proportion.

The particles of the present invention can be used for any absorption and / or catalytic application known to those of ordinary skill in the art that achieve superior results under prior art particles. In addition, the particles of the present invention can be used in a variety of absorption and / or catalyst applications that have never been considered in the art. In one embodiment, the particles are used for environmental complementary applications. In this embodiment, the particles can be used to remove contaminants such as, for example, but not limited to, chlorinated organics and heavy metals, organics, including volatile organics, inorganics or mixtures thereof. Specific examples of contaminants include acetone, microorganisms, ammonia, benzene, carbon monoxide, chlorine, dioxane, ethanol, ethylene, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen sulfide, methanol, methyl ethyl ketone, methylene chloride, nitrogen oxides, propylene, styrene, dioxide Sulfur, toluene, vinyl chloride, arsenic, lead, iron, phosphate, selenium, cadmium, uranium, plutonium, radon, 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP), chromium, tobacco smoke, and cooking smoke Including but not limited to. The particles of the invention can repair individual contaminants or multiple contaminants from a single source.

For environmental complementary applications, the particles of the invention are usually located in a vessel such as a filtration unit. The contaminated stream enters the vessel at one end, contacts the particles in the vessel, and the purified stream exits through the other end of the vessel. The flow rate of the contaminated stream and the amount of particulate matter required can be determined by the skilled person by routine experimentation to determine the required capacity. The particles contact contaminants in the stream and bind and remove contaminants from the stream. The particles can also remove any contaminants by catalyzing the conversion of contaminants into other components. Typically, in absorption applications, the particles are saturated with contaminants under a certain time, and the particles must be removed from the container and replaced with fresh particles. The contaminant stream may be a gas such as air or a gas such as water.

In absorption applications, the particles of the present invention bind to contaminants such that the particles and contaminants are firmly bound. This combination makes it difficult to remove contaminants from the particles and makes it difficult to place waste products in any public landfill or to be used as crude in the building block manufacturing industry. Measurement of contaminants absorbed by the particles of the invention using the Toxic Chemical Leachate Permit (TCLP) test known to those skilled in the art indicated that there was at least as strong a covalent bond between the particles of the invention and the contaminants. .

The particles of the present invention have an excellent ability to absorb contaminants because the physical and chemical properties of the particles are enhanced. The particles of the present invention can absorb larger amounts of absorption per unit volume or weight of absorber particles than non-enhanced particles. The particles of the present invention wonderfully remove various streams of contaminants at both high and low concentrations of contaminants. In addition, the particles of the present invention may reduce the concentration of pollutants and absorbent materials in the stream to absorption values lower than would be possible by the non-enhanced particles. In a particular embodiment, the particles of the present invention can reduce the pollutant concentration of the stream below a detectable level previously never attainable by the prior art.

In addition, the particles of the present invention may have newly added catalytic properties. In particular, the increased oxygen content in the particle medium allows the particles to act as a catalyst. For example, the particles have the ability to promote the destruction of hydrocarbon compounds, even at low heat or room temperature, and to facilitate the conversion of CO, SOx, or NOx to other components.

Particular end uses noted by the present invention are not limited, but are not limited to wastewater treatment facilities, sewage facilities, municipal water purification facilities, household water purification systems, smoke flue effluents, automotive exhaust effluents, engines or motors. To reduce or eliminate contaminants for special applications such as effluents, household or building air purification systems, home radon repairs, landfill leachate, manufacturing plant chemical waste effluents and the like.

Prior art absorbers, such as activated carbon, are prone to loss of their absorption properties when sprayed with antimicrobial agents. Conversely, the particles of the invention to be sprayed with the anti-microbial allow for increased absorption properties while at the same time maintaining the absorption properties of the particles. In addition, similar to the particles of the prior art, it does not deactivate the absorption capacity of the inventive particles in contact with water.

Experiment

The following examples are intended to provide those skilled in the art with a complete description and description of how to prepare and evaluate the claimed compounds, which are intended to merely illustrate the invention and do not limit the inventor's concept of the invention. Do not. The numbers (quantity, temperature, etc.) are made to be accurate, but some errors and deviations have to be calculated. Unless indicated otherwise, parts are parts by weight where the temperature (° C.) is at or near room temperature and the pressure is at or near atmospheric.

Example 1

Various particles were prepared according to the process of the present invention as follows. Table 1 illustrates the process used to prepare particles having a composition of 60% Al ₂ O ₃ , 20% carbon, 15% manganese dioxide, and 5% copper oxide proposed as 1a. The alumina used was gamma calcined (550 ° C.) alumina derived from high density, low porosity pseudoboehmite alumina or alumina gel. The alumina was preheated by calcining at 550 ° C. to reach the desired gamma crystal structure. The carbon used in this particle was a carbon based coconut designated as carbon based polynesian coconut purchased from Calgon Carbon Corporation. Due to the use of coconut shells in the production of this carbon, there are very large surface areas as well as micro-pores that can be used to remove contaminants in the gas stream. Each of the four particle types were mixed with their suitable weight percent by dry weight. These were mixed together homogeneously into the dry mixture. 20 parts by weight of an acidic solution of 80% nitric acid was added to 80 parts by weight of water. The acid solution was slowly added to the dry particle mixture until the mixture obtained a moist paste stickiness. This persistence could extrude the mixture into the desired form. The mixture was extruded using an LCI model BTG ^R laboratory extruder. After extruding the mixture, the extrudate was cut into about 1/16 to 1/8 inch particles and then dried to a temperature of at least 450 ° C. to crosslink the aluminum oxide. The particles were placed in a vacuum / pressure vessel chamber on a non-based target plate. The door was locked to the chamber and pumped out of the chamber to drop air to a negative pressure of 2 millitorr. Under this pressure, argon gas was blown into the chamber and the internal gauge pressure was allowed to reach about 20 psi. Under this pressure, the energy beam source was activated at 15-20 eV and applied to particles above the target area. Commonwealth broad beam ions were used. The treatment time of the particles is changed depending on the amount and density of the target material. For this example, a volume of 50 g of material was used and a treatment time of 10 seconds was used. The processing time also varies with the output from the energy beam source and the internal pressure of the chamber. After 10 seconds, the ion source was turned off and the chamber was vented to atmospheric pressure. The sample was then removed from the chamber.

1b to 1ac were prepared similarly to the examples described above for 1a except that the particular composition was set forth in Table 1. In addition, the carbon used for the aqueous particles designated 1v and 1w was carbon based coal. This carbon based coal was purchased from Calgon Carbon Corporation as WHP grade carbon. The particulate alumina used in 1b particles through 1ac was the same as that described above for gamma calcined alumina, particle 1a.

The other ingredients listed in Table 1 below are known to those skilled in the art and may be readily available.

The composition of each particle was prepared by the process of the present invention described above, and the contaminants were tested in Examples 2 and 3 listed in Table 1. The same particle designation system was used in Tables 1-3.

Particle designation Composition ¹ (% by weight) pollutant air Mercury 1a 60% Al ₂ O ₃ , 20% carbon, 15% MnO ₂ , 5% CuO Acetone 1b 100% Al ₂ O ₃ ammonia 1c 50% Al ₂ O ₃ , 40% carbon, 10% SiO ₂ benzene 1d 40% Al ₂ O ₃ , 30% V ₂ O ₅ , 20% MnO ₂ , 10% TiO ₂ carbon monoxide 1e 100% Al ₂ O ₃ Goat 1f 100% Al ₂ O ₃ 1,4-dioxane 1 g 100% Al ₂ O ₃ ethanol 1h 100% Al ₂ O ₃ Formaldehyde 1i 40% Al ₂ O ₃ , 30% MnO ₂ , 20% V ₂ O ₅ , 5% Zeolite, 5% Fe ₂ O ₃ Hydrogen cyanide 1j 30% Al ₂ O ₃ , 50% MnO ₂ , 5% carbon, 5% SiO ₂ , 10% ZnO Hydrogen sulfide 1k 90% Al ₂ O ₃ , 10% carbon, Methanol 1l 100% Al ₂ O ₃ Methyl ethyl ketone 1m 40% Al ₂ O ₃ , 20% MnO ₂ , 10% CuO, 30% V ₂ O ₅ Methylene chloride 1n 40% Al ₂ O ₃ , 30% V ₂ O ₅ , 20% MnO ₂ , 10% TiO Nitric oxide 1o 30% Al ₂ O ₃ , 70% carbon, Propylene 1p 30% Al ₂ O ₃ , 70% carbon, Styrene 1q 100% Al ₂ O ₃ Sulfur dioxide 1r 40% Al ₂ O ₃ , 30% MnO ₂ , 30% carbon, toluene 1 s 30% Al ₂ O ₃ , 70% Carbon Vinyl chloride 1t 100% Al ₂ O ₃ Arsenic 1u 100% Al ₂ O ₃ cadmium 1v 40% Al ₂ O ₃ , 40% carbon, 20% SiO ₂ Goat 1w 40% Al ₂ O ₃ , 40% carbon, 20% SiO ₂ DBCP 1x 100% Al ₂ O ₃ iron 1y 100% Al ₂ O ₃ lead 1z 100% Al ₂ O ₃ phosphate 1aa 40% Al ₂ O ₃ , 40% carbon, 20% SiO ₂ radon 1ab 100% Al ₂ O ₃ Selenium 1ac 100% Al ₂ O ₃ uranium

1: Coconut based activated carbon was used for air pollutants and 1aa (radon), and coal based activated carbon was used for aqueous pollutants 1v and 1w.

Example 2

The particles prepared in Example 1 were tested for their ability to remove various components from the air. The experiments for air pollutants summarized in Table 2 were performed as follows. The source of contamination was solvent vapor or a pre-filled gas mixture. Solvent vapor was injected into the system using a syringe pump and mixed with the moist air. A gas bottle equipped with a needle valve and a flowmeter of either a rotor meter or a gravimetric regulator was used to mix the gas bottle effluent with the humidified air. 30% relative humidity and 25 ° C. humidified air were mixed with solvent vapor or gas stream. The humidified air was produced by a flow rate-temperature-humidity control module that regulates the temperature, relative humidity and flow rate of the humidified air. The concentration of airborne contaminants in the humidified air was measured by an infrared analyzer. After the incoming infrared analysis, the sample was placed in the sample holder. The sample holder used a 3 inch diameter test vessel, which holds 200 g of particle sample in place using a glass stock disk. After passing the particles, the concentration of contaminants in the effluent exited the sample holder. The concentration of contaminants at the outflow side of the particle sample holder was analyzed by an infrared analyzer. The test time was 10 minutes. The removal rate was calculated by dividing the initial contamination concentration (initial contaminant concentration-effluent contamination concentration).

The results are shown in Table 2 below.

Particle display Air pollutants Initial Contaminant Concentration (ppm) Removal rate Flow rate ¹ 1a Acetone 750 100 40ft / min 1b ammonia 50 100 40ft / min 1c benzene 50 100 40ft / min 1d carbon monoxide 10000 100 40ft / min 1e Goat 34 100 40ft / min 1f 1,4-dioxane 50 100 40ft / min 1 g ethanol 1000 100 40ft / min 1h Formaldehyde 10 100 40ft / min 1i Hydrogen cyanide 20 100 40ft / min 1j Hydrogen sulfide 20 100 40ft / min 1k Methanol 200 100 40ft / min 1l Methyl ethyl ketone 1000 100 40ft / min 1m Methylene chloride 50 100 40ft / min 1n Nitric oxide 100 100 40ft / min 1o Propylene 700 100 40ft / min 1p Styrene 50 100 40ft / min 1q Sulfur dioxide 20 100 40ft / min 1r toluene 100 100 40ft / min 1 s Vinyl chloride 20 100 40ft / min

1: 40 ft / min speed is 55.5 l / min capacity flow.

In the formaldehyde test using the particles 1h in Table 2, no formaldehyde was detected in the particles after the test was completed, and no formaldehyde was detected in the outflow stream as shown in Table 2. The particle 1h acts as a catalyst for formaldehyde and decomposes formaldehyde to be considered carbon dioxide and water even at room temperature. This is also evidenced by a separate test demonstrating that the above-mentioned particles removed formaldehyde from the system for substantially longer time than can be explained that they only acted as adsorbent.

As can be seen in Table 2 above, carbon monoxide and nitric oxide were not detected in the effluent system. These two components generally do not adsorb to the kind of particles used in the above tests, so these particles act as catalysts for CO and NO _X. It is believed that CO is converted to CO ₂ and water and NO _X is converted to N ₂ and O ₂ . Improvement of SO ₂ is at least in part, is thought to undergo a catalytic reaction in which SO ₂ is converted to another component. Catalysis was surprisingly realized even at room temperature.

Example 3

The particles prepared in Example 1 were tested for their ability to remove various components from water. The test method is as follows. For each contaminant, five glass columns with an internal diameter of 0.875 inches and a length of 12 inches were prepared and each test particle filling volume was 95 ml. Each fill was bottom pumped at a cross-sectional flow rate of 6 gpm / ft ² (ie about 95 ml / min) and washed with 5 times packed volume of deionized water. Each of the flow rates listed in Table 3 is for the square foot of the cross-sectional flow rate. Test solutions for each aqueous contaminant were prepared. A total of 10 fill volumes, i.e., about 1 liter per column of aqueous contaminant test solution, were pumped through each column. In each experiment, the aqueous contaminant test solution was continuously stirred at low speed before entering the glass column to maintain a uniform composition. At the tenth fill volume, effluent samples from each column were collected and analyzed for particulate aqueous contaminants. In addition, a single influent sample of each test was collected and analyzed for contaminant concentrations.

The test results are shown in Table 3.

Particle display Aqueous pollutants Influent Effluent Flow rate Detection limit 1t arsenic 2,890 ppb 10 ppb 5-6GPM 10 ppb 1u cadmium 1,003 ppb 10 ppb 5-6GPM 10 ppb 1v Goat 263 ppb 10 ppb 5-6GPM 10 ppb 1w DBCP1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (sw) 230.0 µg / l (sw) 210.0 µg / l (gw) 0.07 µg / l 0.02 μg / ℓ0.02 μg / ℓ0.02 μg / ℓ 5-6GPM5-6GPM5-6GPM 0.02 μg / ℓ0.02 μg / ℓ0.02 μg / ℓ 1x iron 1.15 mg / l 0.03 mg / l 5-6GPM 0.03 μg / ℓ 1y lead 215 ppb 10 ppb 5-6GPM 10 ppb 1z phosphate 40.45 mg / l 9.50 mg / l 5-6GPM N / A 1aa radon 1,104.2pCi / ℓ911.6pCi / ℓ 303.2pCi / ℓ306.1pCi / ℓ 5-6GPM 5-6GPM N / A 1ab Selenium 1.45mg / ℓ 0.003mg / l 5-6GPM 0.003mg / l 1ac uranium 50.5 ppm 0.08ppm 5-6GPM N / A

sw = synthetic number

gw = groundwater

Example 4

Particles of 100% activated carbon coconut according to the present invention were prepared according to the method of Example 1 above. The surface composition of the activated carbon original particles and the particles prepared by the method of Example 1 was analyzed using an ESCA spectrometer. The surface characteristics are as follows.

ingredient Initially activated carbon particles (atomic%) Activated carbon particles of the present invention (atomic%) carbon 96.47 61.65 Oxygen 3.53 16.37 salt 0.59 Fluoride 8.61 potassium 7.60 Goat 1.61 sulfur 0.86 sign 0.55 magnesium 2.5

Therefore, while the initial particles had an oxygen / carbon ratio of about 0.04, the oxygen / carbon ratio of the activated carbon particles treated according to the present invention was 0.27, and the oxygen / carbon ratio increased about 7 times the original ratio. Similar tests were performed on 100% aluminum oxide prepared according to the method of Example 1. The oxygen / aluminum ratio was at least about 2 times higher than the oxygen / aluminum ratio of the original untreated particles.

Example 5

TCLP tests were conducted on two different methods of contaminant improvement of the present invention. Particles were prepared according to the method of Example 1 and used to adsorb the particulate contaminants of Table 5 below. Particles were washed in particular with acid solution according to the EPA test method and for the required time. The concentration of contaminants removed from the particles was measured and the results are shown in Table 5 below.

particle pollutant EPA TCLP Test Method TCLP Contaminants (mg / ℓ) PQL ¹ 100% Al ₂ O ₃ lead 1311/6010 0.50 0.50 100% Al ₂ O ₃ phosphate 1311 / 365.4 0.1 ² 0.1

1 PQL is the actual assessment limit on an EPA basis and is different from the lowest detectable limit.

2 TCLP was measured for phosphorus.

Thus, the particles of the present invention bind firmly to contaminants when acting as adsorbents.

Example 6

158 g, 9.4 cubic inches (2 inches in diameter x 3 inches in height) of the particles of Example 1 (d) (40% Al ₂ O ₃ , 30% V ₂ O ₅ , 20% MnO ₂ , 10% TiO ₂ ) Was charged. A mixture of 101.8 ppm NO and 1,035 ppm CO in air was fed to a fixed bed reactor at a rate of 35 standard cubic feet per hour (SCFH) at room temperature. Effluent from the fixed bed reactor was fed to the Horiba CLA-510SS NOx analyzer and the VIA-510 CO analyzer. The concentration of NO immediately dropped to 5.4 ppm until 5 minutes (primary recorded survey) and continued to drop to 4.0 ppm by 40 minutes (see FIG. 2). The CO concentration dropped more slowly, dropping to 532 ppm in 40 minutes (see FIG. 3). The test was ended 40 minutes later. The CO concentration was still decreasing at 40 minutes and can be further reduced with reaction time. It is assumed that the particles of the present invention catalytically decompose CO and NO.

Various documents are mentioned throughout the present invention. The contents of these documents are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety in order to explain in more detail the state of the art to which the present invention relates.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations are possible within the scope or spirit of the invention. It is also apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments of the invention are possible from the specification and practice thereof. It is to be understood that the specification and examples are merely exemplary, with a true scope and spirit of the present invention being defined by the following claims.

Claims (56)

(a) removing the effective amount of air in a closed chamber containing adsorbent and / or catalytic particles to bring the pressure of the chamber to less than 1 atmosphere; (b) raising the pressure of the chamber to at least one atmosphere with an inert gas; (c) contacting the particles with an energy beam having sufficient energy for a sufficient time to increase the adsorption and / or catalytic properties of the particles or to produce the catalytic properties of the particles. Catalytic Particles, and / or Processes for Producing Catalytic Particles. The method of claim 1, wherein the particles consist of oxide particles or activated particles. The method of claim 1, wherein the particles consist of metal oxides, silicon oxides, or activated carbons. The method of claim 1, wherein the particles consist of aluminum oxide, titanium dioxide, copper oxide, vanadium pentoxide, silicon dioxide, manganese dioxide, iron oxide, zinc oxide, activated carbon or zeolite. The method of claim 1 wherein the particles consist of aluminum oxide. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the particles further consist of titanium dioxide, copper oxide, vanadium pentoxide, silicon dioxide, manganese dioxide, iron oxide, zinc oxide, activated carbon or zeolite. The method of claim 1, wherein the particles consist of aluminum oxide and activated carbon. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the particles are further comprised of silicon dioxide, wherein the activated carbon is a mixture of activated carbon based on coal and activated carbon based on coconut. The method of claim 1, wherein the particles are agglomerated masses of small particles and a binder. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the small particles have different compositional forms. The method of claim 1, wherein in step (b), the gauge pressure of the chamber is between 1 psi and 5,000 psi. The method of claim 1, wherein in step (b) the gauge pressure of the chamber is at least 100 psi, and further comprising step (c) followed by a rapid depressurization of the chamber to raise the surface area of the particles. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein in step (b), the gauge pressure of the chamber is at least 5,000 psi. The method of claim 1 wherein the inert gas is argon. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy beam is an ion or electron beam. The method of claim 1, wherein the method produces room temperature catalytic particles. Enhanced adsorbent and / or enhanced catalytic particles, and / or methods of preparing catalytic particles, comprising injecting oxygen into adsorbent and / or catalytic particles. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the method produces room temperature particles. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the method is further by increasing electrical charge on the particles. Particles prepared by the method of claim 1. Particles prepared by the method of claim 4. Particles produced by the method of claim 5. Particles produced by the method of claim 6. Particles produced by the method of claim 12. Particles prepared by the method of claim 17. Enhanced adsorptive and / or enhanced catalytic particles consisting of the formation of enhanced adsorptive and / or enhanced catalytic particles, and / or catalytic particles, wherein the adsorptivity is treated to provide at least excess oxygen on the surface of the particles, and / Or catalytic particles. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the oxygen-injected particles have an oxygen atom percentage of at least 1.5 times the percentage of non-oxygen atoms on their surface compared to particles that are not oxygen-infused, and the surface properties are determined by an ESCA spectrometer. Become particles. 27. The particle of claim 26, wherein the particle consists of activated carbon and the oxygen-infused carbon has a ratio of at least six times the oxygen to carbon as compared to carbon that is initially oxygen-infused. 27. The particle of claim 26, wherein the particle consists of aluminum oxide and the oxygen-infused aluminum oxide has at least twice the ratio of oxygen to aluminum as compared to aluminum oxide without initial oxygen injection. A binder for combining the adsorptive and / or catalytic particles to produce agglomerated mass particles of colloidal aluminum oxide and an acid. 31. The binder of claim 30, wherein said acid is nitric acid. (a) combining the colloidal aluminum oxide with the particles and the acid; (b) stirring the blend homogeneously; And (c) a method for bonding adsorbent and / or catalytic particles comprising heating the blend for a sufficient time to crosslink aluminum oxide in the blend. 33. The method of claim 32, wherein the colloidal aluminum oxide is from 20 to 99% by weight of the blend, 33. The method of claim 32, wherein said acid is nitric acid. A method for reducing or removing the amount of contaminants from a liquid or gas stream for contacting the particles of claim 20 with the contaminant in the stream for a sufficient time to reduce or remove the amount of contaminants from the stream. 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the stream is a liquid. 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the stream is water. 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the stream is a gas. 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the stream is air. 36. The method of claim 35, wherein said contaminant is an organic compound. 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the contaminant is a heavy metal. 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the contaminant is carbon monoxide or nitrogen or sulfur oxides. 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the contaminants are acetone, ammonia, benzene, carbon monoxide, chlorine, 1,4-dioxane, ethanol, ethylene, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen sulfide, methanol, methyl ethyl, ketone, methylene chloride, oxidation Nitrogen, propylene, styrene, sulfur dioxide, toluene, vinyl chloride, arscenic, cadmium, DBCP, iron, lead, phosphate, radon, selenium or uranium. A method for adsorbing contaminants in an adsorbent particle from a liquid or gas stream consisting of adsorbing the contaminant in said stream with said contaminant in said stream for a sufficient time. A method for promoting decomposition of a hydrocarbon consisting of catalyzing the decomposition of the hydrocarbon by contacting the hydrocarbon with the particles of claim 20 for a sufficient time. 46. The method of claim 45, wherein said catalytic reaction is carried out at room temperature. A gas stream by catalytic reaction consisting of contacting the particles of claim 20 with a gas stream containing a contaminant consisting of nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, or mixtures thereof for a sufficient time to reduce or eliminate the amount of contaminants. To reduce or eliminate the amount of contaminants from the process. 48. The method of claim 47, wherein said catalysis is carried out at room temperature. 48. The method of claim 47, wherein said contaminant consists of nitrogen oxides or carbon monoxide. (a) chamber means capable of containing particles in a closed system having an inert port, an exhaust port and a target plate and maintaining vacuum pressure and tack; (b) means for providing an inert gas to said chamber means through an inert gas port; (c) means for drawing an effective amount of air out of said chamber means to vacuum the interior of said chamber; And (d) means for providing an energy beam to said chamber means, wherein said energy beam means outlet is for producing enhanced adsorptive and / or enhanced catalytic particles targeted to a target plate, and / or catalytic particles. Device. 51. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein the energy beam means produces an inno or electron beam. (a) raising the chamber gauge pressure of the closed chamber containing the adsorptive and / or catalytic particles to at least 100 psi with an inert gas; And (b) increasing the surface area of the adsorptive and / or catalytic particles, the step of rapidly reducing the chamber pressure to increase the surface area of the particles. 53. The method of claim 52, wherein the pressure in step (a) is at least 5,00 psi. 53. The method of claim 52, wherein the surface area is increased by at least 20%. (a) enhanced adsorptive, comprising contacting the adsorbent and / or catalytic particles with an energy beam having sufficient energy for a sufficient time to produce an adsorbent and / or enhancement of the catalyst properties of the particles and / or to produce catalytic properties of the particles. And / or methods of making the enhanced catalytic particles, and / or catalytic particles. 56. The method of claim 55, wherein the method is continued.