Reclamation and reuse of freon in total petroleum hydrocarbon analyses
ADS is using a commercially available solvent reclamation system to recycle 95-97 percent of the Freon used in total petroleum hydrocarbon analyses. ADS has further developed the commercially available solvent reclamation system to accommodate radioactive contaminated Freon. This report establishes the following: validity of the method; success of recycling; and effect of radionuclides in recycling radioactive contaminated Freon. The standard analysis method for determining total petroleum hydrocarbons (commonly known as oil and grease determination) involves solvent extraction of the hydrocarbons using Freon followed by quantitation using infrared detection. This has been the method of choice because it is simple, rugged, inexpensive, and applicable to both solid and liquid samples and to radioactive samples. Due to its deleterious effect on the ozone layer, the use of Freon and other chloro-fluorocarbons (CFCs) has been greatly restricted. Freon has become very expensive (800$/liter) and will soon be unavailable entirely. Several methods have been proposed to replace the Freon extraction method. These methods include solid-phase extraction, solvent extraction, and supercritical fluid extraction all of which use gravimetric determination or infrared analysis of the extracted hydrocarbons. These methods are not as precise or as sensitive as the Freon extraction method, and a larger amount of sample is therefore required due to the decreased sensitivity. The solid phase extraction method cannot accommodate solid samples. Supercritical fluid extraction requires expensive instrumentation. ADS opted to keep the existing Freon method and recycle the solvent. An inexpensive solvent reclamation system was procured to reclaim the spent Freon. This reclaimer removes hydrocarbons from the Freon solvent by passage through an activated carbon bed.
- Research Organization:
- Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-89SR18035
- OSTI ID:
- 385349
- Report Number(s):
- WSRC-RP-96-266; ON: DE97060004; TRN: 94T00567
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Apr 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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