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Finding out which way the wind blows
has stimulated development of a catalyst capable of converting
toxic carbon monoxide to a nontoxic gas.
Langley Research Center scientists have developed low-temperature
carbon monoxide oxidation catalysts. The requirement for these
catalysts was driven by the need for recycling carbon monoxide
and converting it back to carbon dioxide during the operation
of closed-cycle carbon dioxide lasers in space environments.
These catalysts were developed for a long-life, highly power-pulsed
carbon dioxide laser, to be incorporated in a Laser Atmospheric
Wind Sounder (LAWS) satellite. The catalysts were used to measure
wind velocity on a worldwide basis.
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STC Catalysts,
Inc.'s catalyst has the ability to remove carbon monoxide and
formaldehyde from the air in enclosed spaces. |
The problem faced by space engineers and scientists was that
the electrical discharges that energize such lasers generally
decompose some of the carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide, resulting
in a loss of laser power. The most practical solution to the
problem is regeneration by catalytic recombination. To minimize
energy consumption, recombination should be done at ambient laser
temperatures with no addition of energy to the catalyst or laser.
What was needed was a catalyst that met these properties, along
with the ability to remove carbon monoxide and formaldehyde from
the air in enclosed spaces.
Scientists and engineers at STC Catalysts, Inc. (SCI), of
Hampton, Virginia, supported the Langley development of the catalyst,
and are co-inventors on the patents. The firm has an exclusive
license from Langley to manufacture carbon monoxide oxidation
catalysts for use in carbon dioxide laser applications. The catalyst
permits the closed cycle operation of a laser for billions of
pulses without replenishing the operating gases. Also, the catalyst
prolongs laser life, reduces power output fluctuations, and can
be customized to fit any laser.
SCI, a subsidiary of the STC Group, Inc., manufactures the
noble metal reducible oxide catalyst, consisting primarily of
platinum and tin oxide deposited on a ceramic substrate. It is
an ambient temperature oxidation catalyst that was developed
primarily for use in carbon dioxide lasers.
SCI has an exclusive license to manufacture and distribute
the catalyst for all laser applications. The firm is also furnishing
the catalyst for other applications through additional agreements
with NASA and with the Rochester Gas and Electric Company in
Rochester, New York, who holds a license for controlling air
quality in inhabited spaces.
Energy conservation and indoor air quality are important but
often conflicting priorities for gas and electric utilities and
their consumers. One widely used method of conserving energy
is to reduce the exchange of indoor and outdoor air by tightly
sealing buildings. But such construction can result in the significant
buildup of contaminant gases, requiring efficient methods of
removal.
Carbon monoxide buildup, in particular, is dangerous in inhabited
spaces. In some instances, it can be released in lethal doses
by faulty furnaces or poorly ventilated fireplaces. While carbon
monoxide alarms have been developed, a preferable solution is
to remove carbon monoxide continuously and rapidly.
Now, thanks to the room temperature catalyst, toxic gas can
be oxidized to nontoxic carbon dioxide when placed in air-conditioning
systems. An additional benefit of the catalyst is that it also
removes formaldehyde from air by oxidizing it to carbon dioxide
and water.
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