Nitric-phosphoric acid oxidation of solid and liquid organic materials

Conference · Wed Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:10117149

Pierce, R A; Smith, J R; Poprik, D C

Nitric-phosphoric acid oxidation has been developed specifically to address issues that face the Savannah River Site, other defense-related facilities, private industry, and small-volume generators such as university and medical laboratories. Initially tested to destroy and decontaminate SRS solid, Pu-contaminated job-control waste, the technology has also exhibited potential for remediating hazardous and mixed-hazardous waste forms. The process is unique to Savannah River and offers a valuable alternative to other oxidation processes that require extreme temperatures and/or elevated pressures. To address the broad categories of waste, many different organic compounds which represent a cross-section of the waste that must be treated have been successfully oxidized. Materials that have been quantitatively oxidized at atmospheric pressure below 180{degrees}C include neoprene, cellulose, EDTA, tributylphosphate, and nitromethane. More stable compounds such as benzoic acid, polyethylene, oils, and resins have been completely decomposed below 200{degrees}C and 10 psig. The process uses dilute nitric acid in a concentrated phosphoric acid media as the main oxidant for the organic compounds. Phosphoric acid allow nitric acid to be retained in solution well above its normal boiling point. The reaction forms NOx vapors which can be reoxidized and recycled using air and water. The addition of 0.001M Pd(II) reduces CO generation to near 1% of the released carbon gases. The advantages of this process are that it is straightforward, uses relatively inexpensive reagents, operates at relatively low temperature and pressure, and produces final solutions which are compatible with stainless steel equipment. For organic wastes, all carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen are converted to gaseous products. If interfaced with an acid recovery system which converts NOx back to nitric acid, the net oxidizer would be oxygen from air.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• OSTI ID: 10117149
• Report Number(s): WSRC-MS--95-0009; CONF-950216--16; ON: DE95006462
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052001
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300
BENZOIC ACID
CELLULOSE
DECOMPOSITION
EDTA
ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH, AND SAFETY
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
NEOPRENE
NITRIC ACID
NITROMETHANE
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC WASTES
OXIDATION
PHOSPHORIC ACID
POLYETHYLENE GLYCOLS
POLYETHYLENES
RESINS
TBP
WASTE PROCESSING