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U.S. Department of Energy
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Hydrothermal oxidation of ammonia/organic wastes

Conference ·
OSTI ID:370266
; ;  [1]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
The efficient destruction of ammonia in military and industrial wastes to the disposal limit of 15 ppm has been a difficult problem to solve. Until now, the supercritical oxidation of these wastes required very high temperatures (>690{degrees}C) and long reaction time for high destruction efficiencies of ammonia. We have demonstrated that the LANL waste simulant of NH{sub 3} (1M), CH{sub 3}CH(OH)CH{sub 3} (0.5 M) and tetrahydrofurfural alcohol (0.1 M) can be effectively oxidized using co-oxidants of nitrate and H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. Greater than 99.9% removal efficiencies were achieved for a reaction time of <30 seconds at 500{degrees}C and 5000 psi. The reaction products included innocuous compounds such as CO{sub 2} (or aqueous bicarbonate), N{sub 2}, and small amount of N{sub 2}O. We have recently extended our effort on the treatment of organic wastes (CH{sub 3}OH, CH{sub 3}COOH & C{sub 6}H{sub 5}OH) using reclaimed NH{sub 4}NO{sub 3}/KN(NO{sub 2}){sub 2} (US Army wastes) as oxidizer. Details of the reaction chemistry of ammonium nitrate with organic compounds will be discussed.
OSTI ID:
370266
Report Number(s):
CONF-960376--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English