Treatment of biomass gasification wastewaters using wet air oxidation, solvent extraction, and reverse osmosis

Conference · Thu Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:5599686

Petty, S E; Bell, N E; English, Jr, C J

Biomass gasification wastewaters (BGW) from Texas Tech University's biomass gasifier were treated using wet air oxidation (WAO), solvent extraction, and reverse osmosis (RO) technologies. These technologies were reviewed to determine if they could be competitive or complimentary to innovative biological technologies studied earlier. Results obtained from experimental studies completed on these three technologies during the past year are reviewed. Wastewaters treated by WAO exhibited chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal percentages ranging from 0% at 5.1 MPa (750 psi) and 150/sup 0/C to 85% removal at 13.8 MPa (2000 psi) and 300/sup 0/C. Oxidation times varied from 20 to 180 minutes, although it was determined that the removal of COD became less dependent on reaction time as the severity of treatment conditions was increased. Color removal using WAO ranged from 56 to 99%. Solvent extraction studies indicate that none of the conventional solvents (i.e., methyl isobutyl ketone, n-butyl acetate, n-butanol, kerosene, toluene, tri-butyl phosphate, tri-n-octyl phosphine oxide, and mixtures of these compounds) are effective in the removal of organics; the best distribution coefficient of 1.3 was given by n-butanol. Hence, solvent extraction is probably not an effective treatment technology for BGW. RO studies on biologically treated BGW indicate 99.7 to 99.8% of the initial COD (approx. 7000 mg/l) can be removed from these wastewaters. Essentially total removal of color was also observed.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 5599686
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-9975; CONF-8110115-2; ON: DE82005224
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
090122 -- Hydrocarbon Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
140504* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989)
BIOMASS
BIOMASS CONVERSION PLANTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DIFFUSION
ENERGY SOURCES
EXTRACTION
GASIFICATION
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LIQUID WASTES
MANAGEMENT
OSMOSIS
OXIDATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SOLVENTS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTE WATER
WASTES
WATER