IN-PLANT REDUCTION OF HAZARDOUS WASTE GENERATION IN THE FLUOROCARBON INDUSTRY

THE FLUOROCARBON INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES CURRENTLY GENERATES OVER 1,200,000 POUNDS OF SPENT ANTIMONY FLUOROCARBON CATALYST ANNUALLY IN PRODUCING 1,190 MILLION POUNDS OF FLUOROCARBONS (CFCS, HCFCS, HFCS). THIS SPENT CATALYST IS A MIXTURE OF HALOGENATED ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (HOCS), ANTIMONY, AND ARSENIC HALIDES. IT IS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS, TOXIC, AND CORROSIVE. IT CONTAINS AT LEAST EIGHT LISTED "CHARACTERISTIC" WASTES (E.G., CHCL3, CCL4, C2CL6, C6CL6). IRONICALLY, AS OZONE-DAMAGING, FULLY HALOGENATED CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS (CFCS) ARE REPLACED BY THEIRLESS DAMAGING OR BENIGN COUSINS, HCFCS AND HFCS, SPENT CATALYST GENERATION WILL INCREASE, SINCE MORE CATALYST IS CONSUMED IN THE PRODUCTION OF THESE REPLACEMENT SPECIES. THIS MATERIAL IS CURRENTLY PROCESSED IN THE UNITED STATES FOR ANTIMONY PENTACHLORIDE RECOVERY AND RECYCLE AT AN OFF-SITE FACILITY. THE PROPOSED PHASE I WORK IS AIMED AT DEMONSTRATING A PROCEDURE FOR THE ON-SITE HANDLING OF THE CATALYST THAT WILLPERMIT THE RECYCLING OF A MAJOR PORTION OF THE HOCS AS WELL AS THE ANTIMONY CATALYST ITSELF BACK TO THE FLUOROCARBON PROCESS. IT ALSO INCORPORATES THE IN-PROCESS USE OF THE OTHER CONTAINED HOCS AND THE ISOLATION FOR SALE OF PERCHLOROETHYLENE, A BYPRODUCT OF THE PROCESS. IN THIS FASHION THE HOCS THAT ULTIMATELY WOULD CONSTITUTE AN INCINERABLE WASTE ARE REDUCED TO ONLY 20% OF THAT SEPARATED AND INCINERATED USING CURRENT TECHNOLOGY. THE PROCESS HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR REDUCING WASTE GENERATION AT THE SOURCE OFONE-THIRD THAT CURRENTLY ACHIEVABLE USING THE BEST CURRENT OFF-SITE RECOVERY AND RECYCLING TECHNOLOGY.