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Detoxification of chlorinated solvents by supercritical water incineration

Book ·
OSTI ID:51945
;  [1]
  1. Univ. of Akron, OH (United States)

Chlorinated solvents are used in many industrial processes as solvents for paints, metal degreasers, clothes cleaning, removal of sulfur from coal, transformer fluids, etc. Supercritical water oxidation has the ability to incinerate organic compound, and achieve high destruction efficiencies with low residence times and no detectable products of incomplete combustion (PICs). The destruction of chlorinated solvents has been carried out in a 1-liter supercritical water oxidation pilot plant. The solvents investigated were trichloroethane, perchloroethylene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, and a transformer oil which was made up of tri and tetrachlorobenzene compounds. The process has the ability to generate destruction efficiencies in excess of 99.99% at 658 K and 245 atm. The system effluents were trapped achieving a `near-zero` discharge. The reaction products were carbon dioxide, water, and a concentrated hydrochloric acid stream.

OSTI ID:
51945
Report Number(s):
CONF-940930--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English