Concentrated hazardous organic waste destruction by electrochemical oxidation

Conference · Sat Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6739533

Molton, P M; Fassbender, A G; Nelson, S A; Cleveland, J K

Concentrated organic compounds typical of major hazardous waste components were subjected to anodic electrochemical oxidation (ECO) in a continuous recycle mode in the presence of a molar nickel nitrate (Ni(II)) electron carrier in molar nitric acid. The catholyte comprised molar nitric acid. Chlorinated compounds such as chlorobenzene, chloroform, perchloro- and trichloroethylene were readily oxidized to a mixture of carbon dioxide and oxygen (the latter from water electrolysis). ECO conversion of phenol rapidly led to insoluble tar formation by a free radical coupling mechanism. The lack of water solubility of most of the compounds examined did not affect the oxidation per se, although it may have contributed to a lower oxidation rate than was previously observed for hexone (MIBK, methyl isobutyl ketone) in solution. A conceptual design for a commercial ECO-system is being developed based on these laboratory results, and work is continuing on the oxidation of mixtures of hazardous materials often found at waste sites. The technique offers promise as a low-temperature and pressure method for waste destruction, especially for concentrated organic wastes. 6 refs., 6 tabs.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6739533
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-15883; CONF-881054-25; ON: DE89001705
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510200* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AROMATICS
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
CHLOROFORM
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
KETONES
MATERIALS
METHYL ISOBUTYL KETONE
NICKEL COMPOUNDS
NICKEL NITRATES
NITRATES
NITRIC ACID
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHENOL
PHENOLS
RECYCLING
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS