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Title: Novel biotreatment process for glycol waters

Conference ·
OSTI ID:431626
; ; ;  [1]
  1. Southern Petrochemical Industries Corp., Ltd., Tuticorin (India)

Propylene oxide (PO), propylene glycol (PG), and polyols are produced from propylene via propylene chlorohydrin. Effluents from these plants contain biological oxygen demand/chemical oxygen demand (BOD/COD) loads besides high chloride concentrations. The high salinity poses severe problem to adopt conventional methods like activated sludge processes. Presently, a simple, economically viable and versatile microbiological process has been developed to get more than 90% biodegradation in terms of BOD/COD, utilizing specially developed Pseudomonas and Aerobacter. The process can tolerate high salinity up to 10 wt% NaCl or 5 wt% CaCl{sub 2} and can withstand wide variations in pH (5.5-11.0) and temperature (15-45{degrees}C). The biodegradation of glycols involves two steps. The enzymatic conversion of glycols to carboxylic and hydroxycarboxylic acids is aided by Pseudoomonas. Further degradation to CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O by carboxylic acid utilizing Aerobacter, and possible metabolic degradative pathway of glycols are discussed. Various process parameters obtained in the lab scale (50 L bioreactor) and pilot scale (20 m{sup 3} bioreactor), and unique features of our process are also discussed.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Badger Engineers, Inc., Tampa, FL (United States); Solar Energy Research Inst., Golden, CO (United States)
OSTI ID:
431626
Report Number(s):
CONF-900512-; TRN: 96:006510-0070
Resource Relation:
Conference: 12. symposium on biotechnology fuels and chemicals, Gatlinburg, TN (United States), 7-11 May 1990; Other Information: PBD: 1991; Related Information: Is Part Of Twelfth symposium on biotechnology for fuels and chemicals; Greenbaum, E. [ed.] [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)]; Wyman, C.E. [ed.] [Solar Energy Research Inst., Golden, CO (United States)]; PB: 934 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English