DEHYDROHALOGENATION OF COMPLEX HAZARDOUS ORGANIC WASTES FOR DESTRUCTION AND RESOURCE RECOVERY

THE PRODUCTION OF HALOGENATED ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (HOCS) AND OF CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS (CFCS), IN THE UNITED STATES, PRODUCES ABOUT 200 MILLION POUNDS OF REFRACTORY, HAZARDOUS WASTE PER YEAR. DUE TO ITS LOW FUEL VALUE, CORROSIVITY, ANDHAZARDOUS METALS CONTENT, THE WASTE IS POORLY SUITED FOR DISPOSAL BY INCINERATION AND IS BANNED FROM DISOSAL IN LANDFILLS. PREVIOUS HAZARDOUS WASTE DISPOSAL RESEARCH, SPONSORED BY EPA, HAS IDENTIFIED WASTES IN THIS CLASS AS DESERVING PRIORITY CONSIDERATION FOR DISPOSAL TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT. THIS PHASE I PROPOSAL ADDRESSES THE TECHNIQUE OF DEHYDROHALO-GENATION AS IT APPLIES TO THE COST EFFECTIVE DESTRUCTION OF BOTH WASTE STREAMS AND/OR RECOVERY OF CONVERSION PRODUCTS (E.G., CARBON TETRACHLORIDE, PERCHLOROETHYLENE). THE PROPOSAL DRAWS UPON EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN HANDLING OF WASTE HOCS BY THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR. THE PROPOSED TESTS WILL DEMONSTRATE THE TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY OF USING AQUEOUS NAOH TO DEHYDROHALOGENATE ACTUAL MIXED HOC AND CFC WASTE STREAMS. HANDLING REQUIREMENTS FOR GASEOUS AND LIQUID BYPRODUCTS AND SOLID WASTE PRODUCTS WILL BE DEFINED. ADEQUATE OPERATIONAL DATA WILL BE COLLECTED TO ESTABLISH THE RELATIVE EFFECTIVENESS AND THE ECONOMICS OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND TO PROVIDE A BASIS FOR THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE TECHNOLOGY.