Catalytic destruction of hazardous organics in aqueous solutions

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Abstract
Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) is developing a process for destroying hazardous organics and chlorinated organics in aqueous solutions. The process is targeted at liquid waste streams that are difficult and costly to treat with conventional or developing technologies. Examples of these waste streams include contaminated groundwater and surface water and industrial wastewater. Aqueous solutions are treated with a transition metal catalyst at 300/degree/C to 460/degree/C and 2000 to 5000 psig pressure to convert the wastes to innocuous gases. During proof-of-principle tests conducted in a 1-L batch reactor, destruction of over 99/percent/ (in most cases approaching 99.9/percent/) of the organic material was achieved. Hexone (methyl is isobutyl ketone, MIBK), p-cresol, hexane, benzene, and naphthalene were used as model waste materials. The only major product with all of the organic compounds was a gas containing 50/percent/ to 75/percent/ methane, 25/percent/ to 45/percent/ carbon dioxide, and 0/percent) to 5/percent/ hydrogen. Reduced nickel was the only effective catalyst and that the optimal operating conditions for destroying nonchlorinated organics were 350/degree/C to 400/degree/C, 2000 to 4000 psig, and 30/endash/ to 60/endash/min residence time. These tests also indicated that catalyst deactivation or fouling would not be a problem at these conditions. Chlorobenzene and trichloroethylene (TEC), weremore » also tested. Destruction of both compounds was 99/percent/ or greater, but the products were different from those obtained from hydrocarbons. With TCE, the major product was carbon dioxide; with chlorobenzene the major product identified was benzene. In the tests with the chlorinated hydrocarbons, the chlorine was converted to HC1 and the reduced nickel was converted to nickel hydroxide, which may be detrimental to long-term catalyst activity. (15 refs., 8 figs., 6 tabs).« less

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