Abstract
Some of the water soluble high polymers such as poly (oxyethylene), carboxy methyl cellulose and poly (vinyl alcohol) are biore-fractory and also insusceptible to ordinary activated carbon adsorption treatment because of slow adsorption rate. For removing these high polymers, degradation of molecular weight becomes advantageous as a pretreatment for succeeding biochemical or adsorption treatment. The present study focuses on elucidation of decomposition rate of poly (oxyethylene) in aqueous solution by ozone injection. In the course of reaction, gel chromatographic technique is used to obtain molecular weight distribution and from the measured distribution curve, number averaged molecular weight is calculated by assuming logarithmic normal distribution and by correcting the effect of axial dispersion in gel columns.
Decomposition rate is proportional to ozone concentration and to -1/3 power of polymer concentration. Activation energy of decomposition was 12.3 kcal/mole.
