Molten salt oxidation of mixed wastes

Conference · Fri Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:140958

Navratil, J D ^[1]

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1. Rockwell International, Canoga Park, CA (United States)

MSO (molten salt oxidation) technology was developed and evaluated by Rockwell International from the 1970`s through the early 1980`s with excellent results for treating hazardous and radioactive wastes; however, interest in MSO declined in the late 1980`s because of the availability of less expensive treatment technologies. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has recently shown interest in MSO because of its potential advantages over existing processes in treating mixed wastes (radioactive and hazardous). MSO can be characterized as a simple noncombustion process; the basic concept os to introduce air and wastes into a bed of molten salt (usually sodium carbonate at 900-1000C), oxidize the organic wastes in the molten salt, use the heat of oxidation to keep the salt molten and remove the salt for disposal or processing and recycling. The process requires no wet scrubbing system for off-gas treatment and has been developed through pilot-scale testing, with successful destruction of a wide variety of wastes. This presentation will review the principles and capabilities of MSO and briefly describe results of a program in progress to demonstrate MSO for the treatment of mixed wastes. Analytical methods used to monitor the process will be highlighted.

• OSTI ID: 140958
• Report Number(s): CONF-930304--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
MOLTEN SALTS
OXIDATION
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTES