Title: Method of manipulating the chemical properties of water to improve the effectiveness of a desired chemical process

Abstract

The method of the present invention is adapted to manipulate the chemical properties of water in order to improve the effectiveness of a desired chemical process. The method involves heating the water in the vessel to subcritical temperatures between 100.degree. to 374.degree. C. while maintaining sufficient pressure to the water to maintain the water in the liquid state. Various physiochemical properties of the water can be manipulated including polarity, solute solubility, surface tension, viscosity, and the disassociation constant. The method of the present invention has various uses including extracting organics from solids and semisolids such as soil, selectively extracting desired organics from nonaqueous liquids, selectively separating organics using sorbent phases, enhancing reactions by controlling the disassociation constant of water, cleaning waste water, and removing organics from water using activated carbon or other suitable sorbents.

Inventors:

Hawthorne, Steven B ^[1]; Miller, David J ^[1]; Yang, Yu ^[2]; Lagadec, Arnaud Jean-Marie ^[1]

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+ Show Inventor Affiliations

1. Grand Forks, ND
2. Greenville, NC

Issue Date:

Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1999

Research Org.:

Univ. of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (United States)

OSTI Identifier:

872747

Patent Number(s):

6001256

Assignee:

Energy & Environmental Research Center (Grand Forks, ND)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B09 - DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE B09C - RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL

C - CHEMISTRY C02 - TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE C02F - TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE

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B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B09 - DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE B09C - RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL

B09C1/02 - Extraction using liquids, e.g. washing, leaching {, flotation}

C - CHEMISTRY C02 - TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE C02F - TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE

C02F1/26 - by extraction
C02F2101/363 - {PCB's

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DOE Contract Number:  

FC21-93MC30097

Resource Type:

Patent

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

method; manipulating; chemical; properties; water; improve; effectiveness; desired; process; adapted; manipulate; involves; heating; vessel; subcritical; temperatures; 100; degree; 374; maintaining; sufficient; pressure; maintain; liquid; various; physiochemical; manipulated; including; polarity; solute; solubility; surface; tension; viscosity; disassociation; constant; extracting; organics; solids; semisolids; soil; selectively; nonaqueous; liquids; separating; sorbent; phases; enhancing; reactions; controlling; cleaning; waste; removing; activated; carbon; suitable; sorbents; selectively extracting; selectively separating; sorbent phase; waste water; activated carbon; critical temperature; method involves; surface tension; aqueous liquid; chemical properties; sufficient pressure; chemical process; removing organic; maintaining sufficient; desired chemical; aqueous liquids; selectively extract; separating organic; method involve; involves heating; suitable sorbent; /210/