Chemical Processing in high-pressure aqueous environments. 3. Batch reactor process development experiments for organics destruction

A high-pressure (20 MPa) and high-temperature (350 C) liquid water processing environment was used to treat various wastewaters and model compounds. Organics were converted to methane and carbon dioxide in the presence of catalysts. Functional types included hydrocarbons, both aliphatic and aromatic; phenolics and other oxygenates; chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents; and sodium salts of organic acids. Tests with aqueous nickel ion showed negligible catalytic activity. Noncatalytic hydrolysis of sodium cyanide, carbon tetrachloride, and chloroform was also demonstrated. Ammonium destruction was proven by reaction with nitrate at these processing conditions. Several examples of test results with actual industrial waste streams showed that this process can be effectively used with catalysts to clean wastewater and recover waste organics as useful fuel gas.