MTBE and TBA Removal with Ozone
For this test, 12 g/hr ozone concentration was bubbled into a 1.25 liter water column at 7% concentration by weight at a 2 LPM flow rate. Considering a 10% mass transfer rate, 1.2 g/hr ozone was dissolved into the water.
= 960 mg/l ozone dosage in a one hour time period.
Test Results
Chart
Data Table
| Time (Minutes) | MTBA (PPM) | TBA (PPM) | Acetone (PPM) | Methyl (PPM) | Ozone Dosage (mg/l) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 35000 | 7600 | ND | ND | 0 |
| 30 | 6200 | 34000 | 2000 | 1000 | 480 |
| 45 | 28 | 1800 | 4400 | 780 | 720 |
| 60 | 62 | 3200 | 4500 | 1000 | 960 |
| 90 | ND | 580 | 4000 | 600 | 1440 |
| 120 | ND | 280 | 3500 | 380 | 1920 |
| 180 | ND | 390 | 3400 | 300 | 2880 |
* ND = not detectable (below 1 PPM)
** After 90 minutes the MTBE fell below the not detectable (ND) threshold of 1 PPM.
Observations
The spike in TBA at 45 minutes is likely the result of ozone breaking MTBE down into TBA. However, with time, the ozone also removed most of the TBA. It was informative to obtain data on both levels to observe this relationship.
Acetone and methyl acetate were both byproducts of the ozone reactions in this test. Over time, these compounds were also broke down.
Conclusion and Application
Ozone Solutions performed this test for a customer to verify that ozone would be effective in removing MTBE from water. The resulting data indicates that ozone was very effective in our lab testing. After this successful lab test, the data inspired an on-site pilot test with our WS-3010, which led to the eventual implementation of a "pump and treat" ozone remediation system.
