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

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5599686

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 National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
5599686
Report Number(s):
PNL-SA-9975; CONF-8110115-2; ON: DE82005224
Resource Relation:
Conference: 13. biomass thermochemical conversion contractors meeting, Washington, DC, USA, 27 Oct 1981
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English