Yellow phosphorus process to convert toxic chemicals to non-toxic products

Patent · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:869405

Chang, Shih-Ger ^[1]

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1. El Cerrito, CA

The present invention relates to a process for generating reactive species for destroying toxic chemicals. This process first contacts air or oxygen with aqueous emulsions of molten yellow phosphorus. This contact results in rapid production of abundant reactive species such as O, O.sub.3, PO, PO.sub.2, etc. A gaseous or liquid aqueous solution organic or inorganic chemicals is next contacted by these reactive species to reduce the concentration of toxic chemical and result in a non-toxic product. The final oxidation product of yellow phosphorus is phosphoric acid of a quality which can be recovered for commercial use. A process is developed such that the byproduct, phosphoric acid, is obtained without contamination of toxic species in liquids treated. A gas stream containing ozone without contamination of phosphorus containing species is also obtained in a simple and cost-effective manner. This process is demonstrated to be effective for destroying many types of toxic organic, or inorganic, compounds, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), aromatic chlorides, amines, alcohols, acids, nitro aromatics, aliphatic chlorides, polynuclear aromatic compounds (PAH), dyes, pesticides, sulfides, hydroxyamines, ureas, dithionates and the like.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• Assignee: Regents of University of California (Oakland, CA)
• Patent Number(s): US 5332563
• OSTI ID: 869405
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/423/210/
abundant
acid
acids
active species
air
alcohols
aliphatic
amines
aqueous
aqueous emulsion
aqueous solution
aromatic
aromatic compound
aromatic compounds
aromatics
biphenyls
byproduct
chemical
chemicals
chlorides
commercial
compounds
concentration
contact
contacted
contacts
contacts air
containing
containing species
contamination
convert
cost-effective
cost-effective manner
demonstrated
destroying
developed
dithionates
dyes
effective
emulsions
etc
final
gas
gas stream
gaseous
generating
hydroxyamines
including
inorganic
liquid
liquid aqueous
liquids
manner
molten
nitro
non-toxic
non-toxic product
non-toxic products
obtained
organic
organic chemical
organic chemicals
oxidation
oxidation product
oxygen
ozone
pah
pcb
pesticides
phosphoric
phosphoric acid
phosphorus
polychlorinated
polychlorinated biphenyl
polychlorinated biphenyls
polynuclear
polynuclear aromatic
process
product
production
products
quality
rapid
rapid production
reactive
reactive species
recovered
reduce
relates
result
results
simple
solution
species
stream
stream containing
sulfides
toxic
toxic chemical
toxic chemicals
toxic organic
treated
types
ureas
yellow
yellow phosphorus