With toluene as an example

experimental investigation on VOCs treatment by electron beam irradiation was carried out. The system uses 0.8 MeV electron beams to irradiate simulated toluene-containing gases to 5kGy-40kGy for investigatiing effects of initial concentration

absorbed dose

humidity on toluene removal rate. The toluene removal rate increased with absorbed dose. With 0.5~1.2Nm3/h of the gas flow at an initial toluene concentration of 1600mg/Nm3

the toluene removal rate was 46.5% at 10kGy and 72.2% at 40kGy. And increasing humidity increased the toluene removal rate

too. Qualitative analysis on by-products of the toluene degradation was made by means of Gas Chromatogram-Mass Spectrometer (GC/MS) and Chromatography of Ions (IC). It was found that the by-products consist of mainly benzaldehyde and formic acid

plus a little benzoic acid

benzyl alcohol

methyl pyridine

nitrotoluene

o-cresol

phenol and benzoin ethyl etherl. Mechanisms of the E-beam toluene removal

i.e. the contributions of .OH free radicals and O2 to the oxidation of toluene

were discussed.