Hydrolysis and Oxidation of an Epoxy Resin in Sub- and Supercritical Water

Hydrolysis and oxidation in sub- and supercritical water has been widely studied as methods to convert organic wastes into carbon dioxide and water. This technique could be applied to destroy epoxy resin, a polymer easily used in nuclear plants. This paper deals with the behavior of an epoxy resin tested in a batch reactor. The organic network is hydrolyzed and oxidized. The influence of temperature, pressure, and residence time is studied. Low-molecular-degradation compounds are characterized by the GC/MS technique. The epoxy resin is completely destroyed by way of oxidation at 410 °C and 24 MPa.