Total Chlorine-Free Bleaching of Populus deltoides Kraft Pulp by Oxone

Since the bleaching process is one of the most important environmental pollutant stages in the pulp and paper industry, here, the total chlorine-free (TCF) bleaching of poplar kraft pulp by applying Oxone and peroxide under alkaline conditions has been investigated. The pulp samples were bleached in two stages of Oxone (OX) treatment using an AOX1OX2 sequence (A: acid pretreatment), and then the treated pulps were bleached by peroxide (P) to achieve target brightness (about 80%). The influence of various reaction parameters such as alkali charge, temperature, reaction time, and bleaching agent dosage was optimized. The final achieved brightness was more than 78%. Accelerated aging experiments showed more stability in brightness for the Oxone treated pulp, because alkali Oxone bleaching stops thermal degradation. Similarly, the AOX1OX2P bleaching sequence was found to be effective in regaining some strength that had been lost during acidification of the pulp. Improvement in pulp strength made with acid treatment was achieved along with significant amount of lignin removal and it demonstrates the feasibility of Oxone in TCF bleaching. Furthermore, other results indicated the feasibility of Oxone bleaching as an environmentally favorable alternative TCF bleaching sequence, compared with elemental chlorine-free bleaching approaches and also other TCF bleaching sequences.

Determination of in situ-generated dimethyldioxirane from an aqueous matrix using selected ion monitoring

There is a growing interest in utilizing in situ-generated dimethyldioxirane (DMDO) as an oxidant for synthetic purposes and bleaching and decontamination applications, but the ability to quantify the organic cyclic peroxide species is often complicated by the presence of other reactive components, peroxymonosulfate and acetone, within the solution matrix. This paper is the first to report the use of a MS method for the quantitation of DMDO from these complex matrices by utilizing an isothermal 30 degrees C GC program in conjunction with selected ion monitoring (SIM). The volatile organic species is sampled from the headspace of closed batch system vials and quantified by measuring the abundance of m/z 74. The method achieves a practical quantitation limit (PQL) for DMDO of 0.033 mM, and methyl acetate is identified as a minor decomposition product from the aqueous sample matrix, contributing 9% towards the overall DMDO measurements. The spectroscopic method makes use of common analytical instrumentation and is capable of measuring other in situ-generated dioxiranes, such as those generated from 2-butanone and [2H6]acetone.

Use of in situ-generated dimethyldioxirane for inactivation of biological agents

Dimethyldioxirane (DMDO), generated in situ by adding acetone to an aqueous solution containing potassium peroxymonosulfate (Oxone) at neutral pH, was investigated for inactivation of biological warfare agent simulants. The DMDO solution inactivated bacterial spores, fungal spores, vegetative bacterial cells, viruses, and protein by 7 orders of magnitude in less than 10 min. The kill rates of DMDO were more pronounced when compared to kill rates of buffered Oxone alone. Conditions for the use of DMDO as a biological decontaminant were optimized by evaluating the effects of age and temperature on open systems. DMDO effectiveness was compared to that of current decontaminant solutions such as DS2 (used by the U.S. military), bleach, and hydrogen peroxide and was shown to be superior in achieving a 7-log kill of Bacillus atrophaeus, a Bacillus anthracis spore simulant. The results demonstrate the potential for DMDO to fill the need for a noncorrosive, nontoxic, and environmentally safe decontaminant.

Singlet-oxygen generation in the catalytic reaction of dioxiranes with nucleophilic anions

Nucleophilic anions such as Cl(-), I(-), Br(-), t-BuO(-), O(2)(-) and OH(-) efficiently catalyze the decomposition of dimethyldioxirane (DMD) and methyl(trifluoromethyl)dioxirane (TFD). Singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)) is formed in these catalytic reactions, as demonstrated by the characteristic infrared chemiluminescence (IR-CL) at 1268 nm. The yield of (1)O(2) generation, measured by the IR-CL method, lies in the range between 2 and 98%, which depends on the particular anion employed. For the bromide ion, the catalytic decomposition of the dioxirane is in competition with the oxidation of Br(-) to elemental bromine.