PHOTO-CONVERSION OF HAZARDOUS CHLOROCARBONS TO REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TECHNIQUES FOR SAFE CONVERSION OF HAZARDOUS COMPOUNDS RANKS AS HIGHEST PRIORITY IN THE WASTE TREATMENT INDUSTRY. THE DOMINANT PROCESS FOR TOXIC WASTE TREATMENT, SPECIFICALLY CHLOROCARBONS, HAS BEEN INCINERATION. THE INTOLERABLE QUANTITIES OF POLYCHLORINATEDHALOCARBONS (PCHC) DETECTED IN EFFLUENT OF INCINERATORS HAVERAISED SERIOUS CONCERNS AS OF THE WIDE APPLICATION OF THIS TECHNOLOGY. UTILIZATION OF A REDUCING ATMOSPHERE CAN DRAMATICALLY DECREASE THE CONCENTRATIONS OF PCHC IN THE EMISSION, BUT IT CREATES UNACCEPTABLE AMOUNTS OF SOLID CARBON. WE PROPOSE A NOVEL METHOD FOR SAFE CONVERSION OF HALOCARBONSTHAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ALLEVIATE THESE PROBLEMS. THIS METHOD INVOLVES A PHOTO-INITIATED REACTION BETWEEN CHLORINATED HYDROCARBONS (C1HC) AND METHANE (OR HYDROGEN) TOPRODUCE CHLORINE-FREE HYDROCARBONS AND HCL. THE PROCESS WILL BE CONDUCTED AT TEMPERATURES BELOW 600 K. THIS WILL CIRCUMVENT SOOT FORMATION WHICH IS CHARACTERISTIC OF HIGHER TEMPERATURE THERMAL PROCESSES AND WILL SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE ENERGY COST. PHASE I WILL BE AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WITH FIVE TASKS: CONSTRUCTION OF A VERSATILE PHOTOCHEMICAL APPARATUS, PHOTOLYSIS OF CH2C12/CH4, CH2C12/H2 MIXTURES AND ANALYSIS OF PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION, DETERMINATION OF BEST (HIGHEST CONVERSION) SOOT FREE CONDITION, EXTENSION OF PHOTOLYSIS AND PRODUCTS ANALYSIS TO OTHER CHLOROCARBONS (CHC13, C2H4C12), AND FINALLY INVESTIGATION OF THE IMPORTANT PROCESSPARAMETERS. PHASE I WILL PROVIDE A TECHNICAL FOUNDATION FORPHASE II R & D ON A PROTOTYPE REACTOR TO CONVERT UBIQUITOUS INDUSTRIAL WASTE.